As you start descending from Rohtang Pass towards Keylong, a small untarred road bifurcates to the right near Gramphoo. The sign board at the beginning of the road reads” Welcome to the mystic land of Lahaul & Spiti”. When I first visited Ladakh, I did not pay much attention to it as I journeyed on towards Leh. However, the next year, when I went traveling to Spiti valley, I realized how true this board was. For anyone who has even the slightest of interest in travel, photography or adventure, this place should be on top of the list. This one of the least populated regions of our country is in every way a land mysterious. It is like that “A land far away” that you read and heard so much about, a place that not many people go to but so enigmatic that you always wanted to see how it was. However, because of the same remote nature of the area, drafting a Spiti Valley Itinerary for someone who is visiting here for the very first time can be a little confusing. If you are too planning a trip to Spiti in near future and are not sure about how to take the journey, below is an example of Spiti Valley Itinerary that you can follow.
I suggest everyone that while traveling to Spiti, keep this in mind that this is not a journey that you are going to take each month or each year. Most of the people would not even know when they will be in Spiti next so the idea should be to see as much as possible and trust me, there is plenty to see there. My advice would be is to focus on the journey and not the destination. Unlike most of the other tourist destinations, Spiti is a place where your entire journey is something that you should enjoy. Vistas change at every corner and it is a feast for eyes at every turn of the road. This is not a journey where you can just doze off in the vehicle and wake up when you reach at the destination. Instead, this is a journey which is an adventure in itself. A journey that you cannot afford to miss any part of.
Click on the map below to view it in full size.
A few things that you really need to keep in mind while planning your itinerary, no matter which part of the country you are coming from, are;
Also read: Must See Places in Spiti Valley
While the entire Spiti circuit (Shimla to Manali or vice versa) can be done in 5 days, It is advised to at least give at least 8-9 days to enjoy this journey to its fullest. Read Lahaul Spiti Route Guide for a detailed description of the entire Spiti circuit along with a road map.
You really need to consider and prepare yourself for AMS which you may suffer from during the journey. Spiti is one of the highest altitude regions of the and If this is your trip here, it is advised to start the journey from Shimla and end at Manali, for better high altitude acclimatization. For more detail on what AMS is and what its symptoms are, read How to Handle Acute Mountain Sickness in Spiti Valley?
If you are not traveling in your self-owned vehicle, then you can easily find public transport on this highway. This road passes through a well populated region and finding a shared taxi and even bus service is not at all difficult.
Hotels are available in Spiti in plenty and in every price range. You can find a hotel in here for as less as Rs. 500 per night for 2 people. If your trip is tight budgeted, then shared taxis are your best bet but visiting the nearby regions of Kibber and Kaumik can then become a pain. For people visiting on a motorcycle, a 10 days trip, covering entire Spiti, including fuel, accommodation and food can easily be capped within Rs. 10,000 per person. If you are traveling in a four wheeler, expect the cost to be around Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 17,000.
With above being said, below is how you can plan your journey. For the sake of this article, I will assume that you are starting from Delhi. If you are journeying from elsewhere, then the first and last day travel will change. If you are starting from even farther than Delhi, you may have to add a few more days to reach Shimla.
Also read: Top 10 Things NOT to do in Spiti Valley
Spiti Valley Itinerary
Day 1 – Delhi to Shimla / Narkanda
Day 2 – Shimla / Narkanda to Sarahan
Day 3 – Sarahan to Chitkul
Day 4 – Chitkul to Kalpa
Day 5 – Kalpa to Nako
Day 6 – Nako to Kaza
Day 7 – Kaza to Kibber, Komik, Tashigang, Kaza
Day 8 – Kaza to Chandratal
Day 9 – Chandratal to Manali
Day 10 – Manali to Delhi
This itinerary is more from the point of view of a person who is visiting here for the very first time. The way I have laid it out is keeping in mind that you neither travel too less nor too much on any given day while covering all the major tourist areas on the circuit. Below is a more detailed explanation of the above mentioned Spiti Valley Itinerary. I will start the journey from Shimla and exit at Manali which in my opinion is better for a first visit to high altitude regions.
For a complete list of accommodation at all these places, please read the article at the link below. I have mentioned here a few recommended hotels and guest houses here with their contact information.
Also read: Accommodation in Spiti Valley: Recommended hotels and guest houses
Day 1 – Delhi to Shimla / Narkanda
Nothing much to really write about this except for a long day of journey. Start early from Delhi, take NH1 towards Chandigarh. Just before Chandigarh, take the Himalayan Expressway towards Shimla. Once at Shimla, you can either chose to stay here or if you still have some time left, continue towards Narkanda. Personally, I prefer staying at Narkanda as compared to the crowded city of Shimla. It is about a 2-3 hours’ drive from Shimla.
If you are staying at Shimla, then you can talk a walk through the market, mall road, Ridge etc. Narkanda is just a small village but with tons of scenic beauty.
If you have time, you can also break this journey in two parts. Reach Shimla on Day 1 and go to Narkanda on Day 2. Hatu Peak in Narkanda is well worth a visit. It is the highest peak in the region and a steep climb of about 10 kilometers. There is a narrow road that goes all the way to the top that you can take your car or motorcycle on.
About 8-9 hours’ drive until Shimla and 10-11 hours for Narkanda. Both Narkanda and Shimla have several hotels and finding one for about Rs. 600 – 700 should be easy. Road conditions are mostly good all the way till Narkanda.
Also read: Traveling to Spiti Valley from Manali
Day 2 – Shimla / Narkanda to Sarahan
Start early if you stayed at Shimla. If you stayed at Narkanda on Day 1, you have plenty of time to reach Sarahan which is about 6 hours from Narkanda. Visit Hatu Peak early in the morning and return to Narkanda. Have breakfast, check out of your hotel and be on your way towards Sarahan. A little after Narkanda you will get your first view of Sutlej river which you will be traveling right next to for rest of the day. Continue towards Rampur where you may have your lunch as well. Once you reach Jeori, turn on the 16 kilometers long road that goes towards Sarahan.
Bhimkali temple and a bird sanctuary in Sarahan is well worth a visit. It will take you about 7-8 hours from Shimla and about 5-6 hours from Narkanda to reach Sarahan. Road conditions will mostly be good. There are several hotels here and you can easily find one within budget, for as low as Rs. 500.
Day 3 – Sarahan to Chitkul
From Sarahan, travel back to Jeori and continue towards Karchham. There is a huge dam built over Sutlej at Karchham which you will cross as you drive by. From Karchham, leave the highway again and take the diversion towards Sangla. Have lunch at Sangla and from there it is another couple of hours drive to Chitkul which is the last village on this road.
Sangla is famous for Nages god temple and Kamru Fort. Chitkul is a beautiful small village located right next to Baspa river. There is also an ATM at Sangla if you need to withdraw cash. Some people prefer chose to stay at Sangla but I would recommend going all the way to Chitkul. You can also break this journey in 2 days if you have enough time. Reach Sangla from Sarahan and then go to Chitkul the next day.
A total of about 6-7 hours of travel from Sarahan to Chitkul.
Both Sangla and Chitkul have several hotels and you will be able to find one for price between Rs.700 – Rs.100.
Road will start to deteriorate after Jeori and you should prepare yourself for traveling on bad roads from here on. Karchham to Chitkul is mostly an untarred dirt trail all the way.
Also read: Traveling to Spiti Valley from Shimla
Day 4 – Chitkul to Kalpa
From Chitkul, come all the way back to the highway at Karchham and from there continue towards Powari. At Powari, leave the highway once again and turn on the road going uphill towards Reckong Peo. From Peo, keep going further up until you reach Kalpa.
Reckong Peo is an Army base and foreign nationals have to obtain a pass here to continue further towards Spiti. Kalpa is a small town famous for its apple orchards. Primary attraction of Kalpa is that it presents a magnificent view of Kinner Kailash. Public smoking is banned in Kapla so do not lit a cigarette out in public. You should also buy your smokes from somewhere on the way as you may not find any cigarettes here on sale.
Road will continue to be bad mostly. A total of 4-5 hours journey. You may have to do a bit of hotel hunting but will easily find a hotel within budget, price ranging between Rs. 700 – Rs. 1000
Also read: Is Spiti Valley Safe for Tourists?
Day 5 – Kalpa to Nako
Reckong Peo has the last petrol pump until Kaza so ensure that you tank up here. Once again, do a bit of backtracking and drive all the way to Powari. Continue on NH1 towards Pooh where you will need to register yourself at the check post. After Pooh, road conditions will improve and will remain so all the way till Nako. You will also cross Kazigs on your way, numerous hair-pin bends just like the gata loops of Ladakh.
There are a couple of hotels at Nako and also a PWD guest house right next to Nako Lake. Expect the price to be around Rs. 1000 here.
Road conditions until Pooh will be bad but after that it is a good tarred road. Total of 6-7 hours of journey for the day.
Nako also has a small man-made lake but I found nothing too great about it really. You can also do a bit of trekking to a nearby hilltop to get a panoramic view of the village.
Also read: Best Hotels in Spiti Valley
Day 6 – Nako to Kaza
From Nako, its a smooth drive to Tabo. Road conditions will mostly remain good with a few bad patches here and there.
A few kilometers before Tabo, you will come across a cemented gate on your right and road heading towards Gue village. This site is famous for a 650 year old Mummy located here and is worth a visit. From the gate, it is an 8 kms drive to the village. The temple where the Mummy is placed is on a hilltop and is hard to miss once you have reached the village. You can also ask any of the locals and they can point you in the right direction. After visiting the temple, drive back 8 kms to the highway and continue towards Tabo.
Primary attraction at Tabo is the Tabo Monastery which is said to be over a thousand years old. In case you want to stay at Tabo for the night, there are a few hotels here, of which the Banjara Camps retreat is the most luxurious. There are other hotels and hostels like Tashi Gangsar, Menthok Dumra at Tabo, including the monastery’s own guest houses.
Next after Tabo will be the small village of Dhankar, which is famous for its two (old and new) monasteries. There is also a lake near Dhankar, known as Dhankar Lake. You will have to trek on foot for a few kilometers to reach the lake. Dhankar does not have any hotels, nearest accommodation available is either at Kaza or Tabo.
After Dhankar, it is a straight run to Kaza. Some of the major tourist attractions in and around Kaza are Tangyud Monastery, Key Monastery, Kibber village,Gette Village, Langza village famous for presents of marine fossils, and the Pin Valley National Park, a protected area for Himalayan high altitude wildlife. There are multiple hotels in Kaza so finding an accommodation is not a problem.
Road conditions will be a mix of good, average and bad. A total of 6-7 hours of journey for the day.
Also read: Mobile Network and Data Connectivity in Spiti Valley
Day 7: Kaza – Tashigong – Langza – Kaumik – Kaza
Start early the next day from Kaza to visit the nearby villages of Gette, Tashigang, Kibber, Kaumik and Langza. Leave your luggage at the hotel and you will be returning to Kaza by evening unless you plan to stay at either of these small villages. Langza is famous for very old fossils found here which you can even buy if interested. It also has a small restaurant where you can eat and also see some fossils.
Day 8: Kaza to Chandratal
Tank up at Kaza as the next fuel station is at Manali. Head towards Losar and from there, take the ascent towards Kunzum Pass. As you start on your descent from the top towards Batal, there is a small road that goes towards Chandratal. This is the one you will need to turn on from where the lake is about 10 kilometers. It is a very narrow dirt trail so caution is advised while driving on it.
It will take about 5-6 hours to reach the lake from Kaza. Road conditions will be bad throughout. Chandratal has several campsites where the price will range between Rs. 1500 to Rs. 3000 per person including meals.
Also read: Clothes for Spiti Trip – What to Pack?
Day 9: Chandratal to Manali
From Chandratal, drive back towards Kunzum pass and head to Batal. After Batal, you will come across the worst stretch of road you have seen in your life. The distance is short however it will take you good 5-6 hours just to cross this small patch. From Gramphoo, take the turn towards Rohtang Pass and then descent into Manali.
Road conditions are worst until Gramphoo and after that it will be a mix of good and bad until Manali.
Total of 7-8 hours of journey for the day. Manali has several hotels and you will easily find one within any budget.
Day 10 – Manali to Delhi
Nothing but a long 12-14 hours of long monotonous journey back home.
This will sum up your 10 days journey to Spiti valley, the land mystic. No matter how many time you return here now, your first time will always be your most memorable. Drive back home with memories to cherish and tales to tell.
Planning a trip to Spiti valley by bus or other public transport services?
Also read: How to travel to Spiti valley by Public transport services
I hope this information on Spiti Valley Itinerary was helpful. If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask in the comments section below; or at our Community Forum; and I will be glad to answer.
281 comments
Vargis, love how informative and helpful your blogs are. Specially this one on Spiti valley. Based on this and a few other pages on the internet, I have compiled below itinerary. Could you please review and give your suggestions. Also is early September a good time to visit?
Day1: Delhi to Shimla (9 hrs approx 380 kms via NH44 and NH5)
Day2: Shimla to Kalpa (9 hrs approx 250 kms via NH5)
Day3: Kalpa to Nako (4 hrs approx 120 kms via NH5). Lunch near Nako Lake. Overnight at Tabo (3 hrs approx 70 kms from Nako)
Day4: Tabo to Dhankar (1.5 hrs approx 35 kms)
Visit Dhankar Monastery and Dhankar Lake and leave after early lunch
Drive through the Pin Valley National Park (via Kungri) to Mud village
Overnight at Mud Village in Pin Valley (3 hrs approx 60 kms from Dhankar)
Day5: Mud to Kaza (2.5 hrs approx 55 kms)
Have breakfast/early lunch at Kaza and check in to Hotel
Kaza – Key – Kibber – Tashigong – Kaza (approx 70 kms)
Day6: Kaza – Langza – Hikkim – Komic – Kaza (approx 50 kms)
Kaza to Losar (2.5 hrs approx 60 kms)
Overnight at Losar
Day7: From Losar to Chandratal via Kunzum Pass (2.5 hrs approx 45 kms)
Overnight at Chandratal camps
Day 8: Early morning reflections from Chandratal
Chandratal to Rohtang Pass (3.5 hrs approx 90 kms)
Overnight at Manali (2 hrs approx 40 kms from Rohtang La)
Day 9: Manali to Delhi (14 hrs approx 550 kms)
Day 10: Buffer Day
Hi Biswaroop – The itinerary is definitely doable as long as you are traveling by your own vehicle
Hi Vargis , greetings
i am doing shimla kaza manali circuit from 5th june till 14th june , can you share any map or detials with some ref , for that i dont miss any thing during my trip , we r 4 in group , would be obliged
regards
HI VARGIS.
WE, 10 PEOPLES ARE PLANNING FOR LAHAUL SPITI FROM MANALI OR SHIMLA IN NEXT YEAR. 6 PEOPLE AMONG US WILL BE ON BIKE AND REST ARE PLANNING IN CAB. CAN U PLS TELL ME WHICH IS THE BEST MONTH BETWEEN MAY AND JUNE TO VISIT SPITI. AND WE SHALL BE HIGHLY GRATEFUL IF U GIVE US A PERFECT ITINERARY
Which one is better to stay, Nako or Tabo? Is it a good decision to stay at Losar after completing Kaza’s local tour instead of return at Kaza?
I want to go in the middle of August.
> Chandigarh to Shimla
> Shimla to Sarahan
> Sarahan to Chhitkul
> Chhitkul to Kalpa
> Kalpa to Tabo
> Tabo to Pin
> Pin to Kaza
> Kaza to Losar
> Losar to Chandrataal to Manali
> Manali to Kalka
Is this OK?
I want your suggestions.
THANKS,
BEST TIME TO TRAVEL IN SPITI VALLEY MONTH OF MAY, JUNE JULY
June will be better
Hello Vargis… We are planning on THAR 4×4 from 23rd may 2020 to 03rd June 2020 starting from Delhi-Shimla-Sangla-Kalpa-Nako-Tabo-Kaza-Losar-Chandratal-Batal-Manali. Is this time OK for returning to manali from Kaza. For chandrataal lake can Thar be driven in such narrow roads/ dirt trail.
Thanks in advance
Hi Tushar – Timing is OK. Read my travelogue at the link below please. I went last year by my Thar. Should help answer your questions.
http://roadragas.com/threads/return-to-spiti-experiencing-the-magic-once-again.3965/
Hi! Vargis.
We are going to complete the Spiti circuit on the bike(2 people on a bike). We are leaving on 4th early morning from delhi and we have to come back on 9th night. Its will be 6 days journey. People are saying that is not feasible to complete the spiti circuit in 6 days from delhi. Could you please help us with the itenary as we just have 6 days and we have a rented bike?
Hi Kritika,
Travel like this.
1. Delhi to Narkanda
2. Narkanda to Chitkul
3. Chitkul to Nako
4. Nako to Kaza
5. Kaza to Chandratal to Manali
6. Manali to Delhi
Or like this.
1. Delhi to Narkanda
2. Narkanda to Chitkul
3. Chitkul to Kaza
5. Kaza to Chandratal
6. Chandratal to Manali
7. Manali to Delhi
Hi Vargis.
What would be the situtation during January 2020.
As I have my plans to travel from January 2dn till January 16th. This trip would be a self drive one from Nashik, Maharashtra to Nashik.
Could you update me about the what would be the route condition during that times. Would the Manali sircuit be open? Or I am planning from Shimla to Kaza & back depending on the snow conditions.
TIA,
Regards,
Nitesh E Narayanan
Hi Nitesh – Please see this post.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/spiti-valley-in-january/
Hello Vargis,
I am planning for a road trip for Spiti circuit in July end 27July -03 August, so the first assistance I required is IS IT SAFE to travel in these days. secondly I am a little bit confused regarding itinerary for 7 days.
Thanks in advance for assistance given.
Hi Aman,
1. Safe- Yes but you will have to prepare well for monsoon
2. Itinerary – See the post below
https://vargiskhan.com/log/spiti-valley-in-7-days/
Hi Vargis, I checked almost all of your write ups regarding Spiti Valley and loved your traveller-mind.
We are a group of 4-6(not decided yet), including a sporty kid of 12 years. Now we are planning a trip to some of the dream places of Himachal as (Bir the billing->Kaza-> Pin valley-> Tirthan valley . We are from Bangalore, so probably will start our on road journeyfrom Delhi/ Chandigarh(or you can suggest something better. We will rent a cab from Chandigarh/Delhi. So it’s important to start and end at the same place.We have total 11 nights/12 days in hand. We don’t want to spend time in packing and unpacking and no intension to make the trip hectic. we are planning to make it in next April/may. Planning ahead, because we want to book the hotels a long before to go with our preferred places of staying and planning is fun as well.
I am sending an itinerary , pleae suggest better one if you can think of, or please suggest something different,if you feel.
Day 1: (Booking cab from Chandigarh) Chandigarh to Bir ( staying in Tatva camps)
Day2 : Bir Paragliding and sight seeing
Day3: Bir-> Barot Valley-> Bir
Day4: Bir to Manali ( Just to go to Kaza)
Day5: Manali -> Kaza( via Rotangh Pass) ( staying in Dayzor or Spiti Valley Heritage hotel)
Day6: Kaza–> Hikkim -> Kaza
Day 7: Kaza-> Pin Valley -> Kaza
Day 8: Kaza -> Tirthan Valley ( I know it’s a long ride , but couldn’t find other better option, please suggest)
Day 9 Tirthan Valley -> Humalayan National Park( Stay in Sunshine Himalayan heritage/ Devat Farm or any other cottage beside Tirthan River)
Day 10-> Tirthan Valley->Jalori Pass_> Tirthan Valley
Day11: Relax in Tirthan Valley
Day 12: Tirthan to Chandigarh
Please suggest whatever you feel, you can suggest better places to stay as well.
Thanks in advance
Hi Piyali – This plan will not work in April or May. Manali Kaza route opens towards the end of May or early June. This year it hasn’t opened still so it will be better to delay your trip and plan in June. Your itinerary looks good though.
Hi Vargis, a lot of thanks for your quick reply . You are a great help for travellers in this route. I just realized the same after posting once I read your blog ‘ Spiti valley in March’.
Unfortunately we cannot change the time, so changed the itinerary a bit. Could you please check it again? We are leaving Bit the Billing for this time, though the youngest one was interested in paragliding a lot. But we need to adjust.
So the new itinerary as follows:
Day1: Delhi/Chandigarh to Tirthan valley( Guishaini)
Day 2: Relaxing and local trek at Teerthan
Day 3: Teerthan to Jalori pass, back to Teerthan
Day4: Teerthan to Kalpa
Day 5: Stay in Kalpa and local sight seeing
Day 6: Kalpa to Kaza
Day 7: relaxing in Kaza and travel to Hikkim
Day 8: Kaza to Pinvalley, back to Kaza
Day 9: Kaza to Chitkul
Day 10: Stay in Chitkul
Day 11: Chitkul to Kurfi( Or any other better place on the way, please suggest)
Day 12: Kurfi to Delhi/ Chandigarh
Please suggest if it’s a feasible itinerary by road or not? We will hire Cab from Delhi( probably we will start the road trip to and from Delhi) . If you know good car rentals that also suggest please.
Thanks in advance.
hi Vargis bhai, i m planning spiti trip around 10th June 2019 with wife and 2 children. my wife is busy in University exams, so exact date of departure is not final. can i get hotels after reaching there like Narkanda, Chitkul, Kalpa, Kaza etc. as i am not able to do prior booking. can i do Kaza-Chandetaal-Manali in my Ertiga (i had done Chansal pass with it). any suggestions from ur side.
Hello guys planning road trip from mumbai to leh spiti and back to mumbai in july end august 2019. if anyone interested to join ping me on 9619958818… planning approx 25 days.
hi vargis . we are 5 people coming from chennai .we planned to visit spiti on october 1st week . we decided to travel from chandigar to spiti by rental car for self drive . what is yoyr suggestion ?
Yes you can do it Delip. Spiti remains open in October first week
Hi….Please help me with 7 day round trip itenary for Spiti from Delhi on 350 CC classic
See this post please.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/spiti-valley-in-7-days/
Hi Vargis.. we are looking for good quality or bit high end accommodation for Kinnaur Spiti circuit in June 2019. Plan is-
D1 Land at Chandigarh. Chd – Narkanda
D2 Narkanda – Sarahan
D3 Sarahan – Sangla
D4 Sangla – Chitkul – Kalpa
D5 Kalpa – Nako
D6 Nako – Gue – Lallung
D7 Lallung – Mud – Kaza
D8 Kaza – niegbouring spots – Kaza
D9 Kaza – Ki Monastery – Chandratal Camp
D10 Chandratal Camp – Chandratal Lake – Manali
D11 Manali – Chd
D12 Departure Chandigarh
Looking for suggestions for good hotels at Narkanda, Sarahan, Sangla, Kalpa, Nako, Lallung, Kaza. Would be grateful if you could give out suitable places for stay at these places.
Hai vargis,
We two guys planning to cover spiti circuit in a Royal Enfield by this winter ends.. We want to know that when the road will open for bike riders??
The road from Shimla to Spiti is open still Aswin. It remains open all 12 months
Hi Vargis,
My friends & I are planning to visit Kalpa, Nako, Kaza in Mid March (after 20 days) by car. Do we have to worry about snow on roads or freezing car engine. We wanna experience Snow covered mountain, what are the places we should cover.
Your kind help will be highly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Warm Regards,
Nayan
Hi Nayan,
Fuel Freezing – Not in March really. Are you going in a Diesel vehicle or Petrol?
Snow on the road – Near Kaza and Nako you may find some snow , not elsewhere.
Good Morning
Appreciate your kind reply.
We’ll be driving Diesel cars (Nissan Terrano & Mahindra TUV300).
Apart, do you suggest any place on our trip to find complete mountains covered with snow.
Thanks once again.
Warm Regards,
Nayan Patel
Hi Nayan – You are welcome !!!
Fuel should not freeze in March but still as a caution, look for some anti freeze Gel to use.
Chitkul, Nako, Kaza and the villages around Kaza are places where you can find snow. Chitkul may or may not be open at that time.
Thank you.
Appreciate your kind reply.
Cheers!
Nayan
You are welcome. Do let me know how your trip went after you return.
Hi VargisVa
I’m planning a trip to shimla, spiti, kaza and manali by bike on 13th Oct. Is it good time to visit these place . What weather will be like during this time.
Thanks
Abhishek
Weather will be very cold at this time. Manali Kaza road usually closes by mid October so do not delay it any further.
hi Vargis , you are really prompt giving replies.
hope you will reply to my queries also
– we are 6 adults
– planning to go “key monastry” and camping in “chandrataal lake” only
– we have 5 days for this trip, starting from chandigarh.
– sept 27 to Oct 1
1. please let us know the route via manali to key monastry and chandrataal? ,
we dont want to go from shimla and the rest of the route you have suggested previously.
2. for this journey what would be the minimum budget required per person?
Hi Rahul,
The route from Manali would be,
Manali – Rohtang – Gramphoo – Batal – Kunzum Pass – Losar – Kaza or Kunzum Pass – Chandratal
Hard to give budget estimate. Depends entirely on how you are traveling.
Hi Vargis !
It is wonderful going through your blog. What would be the approx cost of a 10 day Spiti tour package (exclusive cab, accomodation and fooding) for 2 adults starting from Shimla on Day-1 and end at Manali on Day-10.
Thank You
Hi Subol – I am sorry but I do not know of any packages, never traveled with a tour agent.
Hi Varghis Khan, First of all hats off to your great blog. I have recently went on a bike trip to spiti valley. and your awsome blog was my guiding angel. I got even discounts in hotels by just mentioning your name.
Thank you so much for helping out others. way to go. here is the video of my trip.
https://youtu.be/WkcyV2DFz6Q
Hi Meril – I am glad your trip went great brother. Great video. Do share some pictures and some details of your trip if you can.
Hello Vargis bhai..we are planning our trip Chandigarh-chitkul-spiti-manali-chandigarh from 15th June – 21st June..we have planned to do Chandigarh to Chitkul on first day..please help us with the tour plan
hi vargis
we are planning to go to spiti valley with our 6 year old son in last week of june. we would be roughly following your itinerary above. i want to know if we should book accomodations at all places before going, or would it be better to go just like that and look for accomodation as we reach, just in case weather plays spoilsport and we are unable to reach the decided destination. we would be booking in advance till kalpa, definitely.
Dear Vargis,
It was insightful of your blogs when I did my solo Ladkah trip (Amritsar-Ramban-Sonmarg-Lamayuru-Leh-Nubra-Pangong-Lato-Keylong-Manali-Delhi) last year on my ~40 year old Enfield. It was a great experience and I cannot express them in words. I really thank you and all your piece of advice which you have jotted down here on vargiskhan.com
This year I am planning for solo trip again (not on my 40 year old Enfield 😉 ) to Spiti Valley for a period of 15 days. I wont be hiring any motorcycle either from Delhi or from Manali. I intend to complete this circuit entering from Manali and exiting from Shimla (or maybe returning back from Shimla to Manali through same route as I have enough days to stay in Nirvana). My main agenda is to complete this trip by the means of local commute, i.e., shared taxis, local buses, etc.
As you are very much familiar with the places on the routes, I wanted to know if it will be possible for me to complete the circuit with the help of local shared taxis and local buses from the places that come along the way of Spiti Circuit because I am not really aware if it will be available there at all. Further, what do you suggest on the budget when leisure is on my least priority and experience the raw nature, local hosting, etc is the real motto.
As i reside in Mumbai, I shall be landing Delhi on 8th June night and plan to start from Delhi (towards Manali) from 9th June morning and intend to get back to Delhi by 23rd/24th June.
Any suggestions, advice is welcomed.
Will be glad to communicate with you trailing to this comment.
Regards,
Jaskaran S Chawla
Hello Jaskaran,
Thank you for your kind words. Not sure if you have already but in case you did not, please take a look at the article below. This should answer your question about traveling to Spiti by public transport. Let me know if you have any other doubts.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/travel-spiti-valley-by-bus-taxi-services/
hello sir I am doing landscape photography Kindly give me best rout from Chandigarh for 8 days trip where I can take best pics
How are you traveling Hardik?
can u tell me 6days itinerary ?starting to shimla and complete at rohtang through manali.
how much cost of hired taxi for 6days?(3couple)
Really helpful article vargis sir. It really helped me in planning my trip
Thanks for taking the time to drop an appreciating note Rahul Bhai. I am glad the information was of help.
Hi.
Great blogpost firstly.
I would like to ask whether the journey can be done from Chandigarh-Shimla-All spiti spots mentioned-Manali-Chandigarh.
I intend to skip Delhi altogether.
Planning a bike trip in 1st week of September.
is the time & plan correct or should i prepone it to last week of August instead?
Kindly advice.
Hello – Thank you for your appreciating words. Yes you can definitely do the same journey from Chandigarh as well. I just assumed Delhi for the sake of this article. September is a perfect time to visit Spiti, do not plan in August because it will be Monsoon season at that time.
thanks for the prompt reply bro.
just a follow up question: September 1st week or 2nd week is recomended?
Both are equally good. You can decide as per your convenience.
Thanks a lot bro for all the help
You are welcome bro …
Great info.
i ahve a query.
Intending to absolutely stick to your itinerary & planning a Bike trip in 1st week of September.
Is the time right or should i prepone to last week of August instead.
Kindly advice based on quality & availability of roads in the month.
Regards.
P.S. I have experience of Ladakh(7Day Bike trip involving Leh,Hemis,Khardungla,nubra,Pangong).
September is perfect, no need to change. August will just mean rain and bad roads which is not the case in September so keep your plan as it is.
Hi vargis!
It is an absolutely informative blog!! Thank you for that.
But I have a question, is really a bad time to visit himachal in Feb ? I read about spiti ,that it will be closed. But for other places like shimla manali ?
Hi Shriya – It is not really a bad time but you will have to prepare yourself for cold and snow. Spiti will remain open though but you will have to take the Shimla route. Cannot go via Manali.
Hello, We are planning a trip for spiti in June 1st week our itinerary is as follow
Please comment on this if any changes or suggestion?
Chandigadh Airport to Narkanda 31-May Thrusday
Narkanda to Sangla 01-Jun Friday
Sangla to Chitkul / Kalpa 02-Jun Saturday
Kalpa to Nako / Tabo 03-Jun Sunday
Tabo to Dhankar Lake / Mud 04 & 05-Jun Monday & Tuesday
Mud to Pin Vally / Kaza 06 & 07-Jun Wednesday & Thrusday
Kaza to Losar / Chandrata / Batal 08-Jun Friday
Batal to Manali 09 & 10 Jun Saturday & Sunday
Manali to Chandigadh 11-Jun Monday
We are planing for family tour with 8 years old kids. is it possible to do above itinanry
and which things we have to take care particularly for kids.
Thanks
Hello Sejul – Narkanda to Sangla in one day coule be a bit of a long journey. If you can, break this in two. Do Narkanda to Sarahan and Sarahan to Sangla.
Mud village is in Pin Valley, this is is where the road ends.
Rest of your itinerary looks good enough. The only thing I will stronly suggest is that you delay your plan by a week at least. Kunzum Pass open sometime in early June, this year it opened around 10th so you are cutting it a bit too close. Roads will be extremely bad if open and may even temporarily close. Accommodation at Batal and Chandratal too at this time is highly doubtful as the road would just have opened.
Hello Vargis,
We are planing for Spiti Vally Nex May Last Week to Jun 1st Week. Can you give idea when normally Kunjumla Pass opens every year.
Thanks
Hello Sejul – Kunzum opens sometime late May or early June. Best would be to plan after June 10th to be on a safer side.
Dear Vargis,
Wonderful blog and what a wealth of information!
We have planned to visit Spiti for 5 days starting on Sept 27th.
Plan includes
1. Manali to Kaza or Losar ( which is better)
2. Tabo and Dhankar or Kibber, Ki, Komik and Langza
3. Ki, Kibber, Komik, Langza or Mane
4.Chandratal
5. Chandratal to Manali.
We are a group of Four.
Hello Vineet Bhai – Your plan looks great. From Manali, head straight to Kaza, do not stay at Losar. Next day, from Kaza, take a day’s ride towards Tabo Dhankar and from there head to Mud village in Pin valley, then return to Kaza by evening. 3rd day take a ride towards Ki, Kibber, Langza and Hikkim. 4th Chandratal and 5th Manali.
Vargis thanks for your info..
Can you please suggest us for 4 days trip From Delhi to Spiti Valley as being in jobs we don’t have much time.We will be going by our own car..
..
Hello Ankit, A 4 days trip will really be very rushed with a lot of non-stop driving involved. Second tricky part is getting Rohtang permits. How many people are traveling, can you take turns driving for long hours? And which car do you plan on taking?
Hello thanks a lot for this blog. I have some questions, it would be very useful if you can answer them. I am doing this trip with 3 of my friends from august 12th to august 20th.
1. Will the weather be okay during that time.
2. We are looking for a tour agency that can make arrangements for us easily, do you have any suggestions?
3. What are some of that places we should not miss?
4. Will there be snow at any place? We would like to snow once since we’ve never seen snow before.
5. Will there be paragliding at any place?
6. Will there be bikes for rental at kaza so that for one day alone we can have a bike trip?
Thanks again for this wonderful blog!
Hello Ganesh,
Thank you your appreciating words.
1. It will be monsoon with high chances of rain.
2. Do you need a travel agent for the entire trip, arranging cab, hotels and everything?
3. A trip to Nubra vallley, Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri is must while you are in Ladakh. Rest depends upon your travel plan.
4. Most likely no. You may see some snow at top of the passes but nowhere else.
5. At Manali you can indulge in paragliding.
6. Yes you can rent a bike in Kaza.
Thanks for the reply! We are planning our trip to be Chandigarh – Shimla – Spitti Valley – Manali – Chandigarh.
So we won’t be visiting ladakh. So can you suggest the must visit places in this circuit.
And can we manage in the rain or is it gonna be quit impossible?
And yes we need a travel agent for the entire trip.
For must visit places, take a look at this article.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/tourist-attractions-in-spiti-valley-vicinity/
For travel agent, contact Jamaica at 9418200183. In case u r not able to reach him, drop a message on watsapp and he will contact you.
Since you are traveling with a local travel agent and in a car, Rain won’t really be much of a hassle.
Hi Vargis,
First of all, thank you for detail travel guide on Spiti Valley.
I’m planning 9-10 days of bike trip to Shimla – Spiti – Manali route from Aug 11 – Aug 19. I have few queries
1) How will be the weather during 2nd-3rd week of August?
2) Can I hire a bike(bullet) from Shimla and drop at Manali? If yes, do you have any contact who can offer this service?
3) Is 9 days enough from Shimla – Spiti – Manali?
4) If its raining during this period, how difficult is to ride in this condition?
Thanks in advance
Satish
Hello Saty – Thank you for your kind words.
1. It will be raining so please prepare accordingly.
2. Yes you can do it but they will charge you extra for that, around Rs. 10000 apart from the rental and all other charges.
3. Yes it is.
4. It will be difficult but nothing that you cannot manage as long as you have decent enough riding experience.
Dear Vargis,
Thank you for your quick response, really appreciate it. Follow up queries:
1. Is it possible to hire bike from Shimla and drop the bike at Spiti. Do you have any contact who can offer this service?
2. If I change my plans to last week of August, how will be the weather?
Thanks in advance
Saty
Hello Saty,
1. Yes you can rent a motorcycle in Shimla however I do not have any contacts there. Sorry.
2. It will be much better towards last week of August or 1st week of September. Not much rain at that time.
Hello Vargis Sir, you have a very good and informative blog. I have read several of your blogs and I am planning a trip to spiti valley for 8 days with 3 of my friends. I have created a Itinerary very similar to this with the help of your blogs. I just have one question, on the last day of the trip, we are planning to start from Chandratal lake and reach all the way upto Chandigarh. Is it feasible for us to make this journey so that we reach Chandigarh by the end of the day? At what time should we start from chandratal? And is this recommended or you would suggest something otherwise?
And thanks again for this valuable information
Hello Romit – You can do it. I myself have done Chandratal to Delhi at a stretch on a motorcycle. Start from Chandratal by 7 AM and you should reach Manali by 3 PM at most. Another 4-5 hours from here and you will be in Chandigarh.
Hi Vargis Sir, thanks for the prompt response.
I would just like to share my itinerary, it would be helpful if you can provide your suggestions.
Day 1 – Chandigarh to Srahan
Day 2 – Sarahan to Chitkul
Day 3 – Chitkul to Pooh
Day 4 – Pooh to Tabo
Day 5 – Tabo – Kaza
Day 6 – Kaza and nearby places
Day 7 – Kaza to Chandratal Lake
Day 8 – Chandratal Lake to Chandigarh
Hi Romit Bhai – Better do it this way.
Day 1 – Chandigarh to Srahan
Day 2 – Sarahan to Chitkul
Day 3 – Chitkul to Nako
Day 4 – Nako to Mud Village (Pin Valley)
Day 5 – Mud Village to Kaza
Day 6 – Kaza and nearby places
Day 7 – Kaza to Chandratal Lake
Day 8 – Chandratal Lake to Chandigarh
There is nothing in Pooh really that is worth staying there. It will make your ride from Chitkul to Nako a bit longer but worth it for the next days ride to Pin Valley.
Thank you vargis sir. I will follow your itinerary.
You are welcome Bhai
Hi Vargis,
I appreciate your effort in educating people of the beautiful places in the world and would like some guidance myself.I plan to visit Spiti and want to cover other beautiful areas around.I start from Chandigarh on the evening of 22nd June. Can you help recommend an itinerary.Thanks.Also I need to be back by the 29th or 30th of the same month.
Hi Mitali – How are you traveling? By your own vehicle or public transport?
Hello vargis bhai,
First of all thanx for such a important itinerary.
We are 5 friends traveling to spiti valley in month of july from 7-18 july.
we have 2 main concerns this year.
1-what will be the weather in july, so we can prepare accordingly.
2- Another query is about kumzum pass, is it open during our days of visit.
Thanku, waiting for ur reply.
Hello Anupam Bhai, I am glad the information was helpful. Thank you for your kind words.
Kunzum Pass is open as of now but rain is playing havoc in the area. There was a landslide earlier this week on Wednesday, on Manali Leh highway leaving about 1200 tourists stranded on the road for 17 hours. You will need to prepare to handle a lot of rain.
Omg such a exhaustive and well managed blog..kudos
I will be travelling on 17th june for a 10 day trip… ur suggested trip match a lot with my requiremwnt… have a few questions..
I am travelling with my wife and a tenage son.. just 3 of us travelling on maruti swift tge only car i have. I have jacked this by 3 inch to get more ground clearance.
Ques 1… my parents at home are really scared and are requesting me cancel the trip..They say i am risking my entire family life and if something happens they cant even reach us. Because of slippery road…no road etc.. I really want to do this..what positive pointers you have to convince old people. Sorry a different kind of request but will help me.
Ques 2… i plan to go on day 2 to sangla from narkand… i read too many things on detour etc… i want to see sarahan on way and sleep at sangla night 2…is it pissible and what route i take ?
Ques 3. I plan to do sangla… pooh the 3rd day ..is it possible… will i have drive through recong peo and kalpa or can this be avoided ? Do indians need to take permit? If yes from where..what all docs ?
Ques 4…. as v would not know where v will be…do we get accomodation easily or does one need to prebook ?
Ques.5.. i plan to do keylong and jispa as well …suggested routes?
Ques 6…. is it actually safe to drive on our own… is it worthwhile to come with family with all thw risks?
Thx in advance
Thank you for your appreciating words Rahul Bhai. I really appreciate it.
1. Never got this question before, definitely a new one for me. Why not tell your parents that the place you are going to is well populated. People live there so it cant really be that dangerous. For their peace of mind, why not get a postpaid MTNL connection? You will be off network only for a couple of days between Kaza and Manali.
2.Skip Sarahan unless you plan to stay there for the night. The bridge is broken and the alternate route is pain in all the wrong places.And yes, Narkanda to Sangla will be a long journey so ensure that you get an early start.
3. Nothing to see in Pooh really, avoid staying there. Either do Sangla to Kalpa or do Sangla to Nako,
4. You will easily find accommodation. No need to prebook.
5. Do Chandratal-Gramphoo-Jispa. Easily doable in a day.
6. If you have decent enough driving experience and know how to handle your car, there is nothing that should bother you much.
Hi Vargis,
it’s great to see you helping alot of fellow tourists. Kudos to you for this!! I am planning to visit spiti and lahaul valley in the last week of june, We are going to take our scorpio, We have 9 days at our disposal and would love to visit kunzum la, chandrataal and all the beautiful monasteries in the area. Can you help me with an itinerary for that. Some key pieces information for you :
1. Beginning the journey from delhi.
2. Would like to enter through shimla and back through rohtang and manali, hence the full circuit.
3. Will we be able to see karcham wangtu dam?
4. Would we require snow chains?
5. Would 9 days be enough for the journey?
Looking forward to hear from you.
Thanks
Maninder
Hello Maninder Bhai, Thank you for your appreciating words.
1. Snow chains, No
2. Karchham Dam, yes it will be on the way, right next to the road
3. 9 Days, Yes
4. Itinerary, as below.
Starting from Delhi
Day1. Delhi to Narkanda / Rampur (if you can start by 4 in the morning, you can take it all the way to Rampur. It will reduce your travel time on Day 2
2. Narkanda / Rampur to Chitkul
3. Chitkul to Kalpa
4. Kalpa to Nako
5. Nako to Kaza
6. Kaza to Kibber/Komik to Kaza
7. Kaza to Chandratal
8. Chandratal to Manali
9. Manali to Delhi
Thanks alot bhai!! You are a saviour!! I just want to know that will we be missing on anything on this trip? Like tabo and pin valley?
You are welcome Maninder Bhai. Following the above itineary, you will only miss Pin Valley, Tabo will be on the way. If oyu are keen about Pin Valley, follow the itinerary like this,
Day1. Delhi to Narkanda / Rampur (if you can start by 4 in the morning, you can take it all the way to Rampur. It will reduce your travel time on Day 2
2. Narkanda / Rampur to Chitkul (If you stayed at Narkanda, this will be a long journey due to bad roads so ensure that you get an early start, around 7 AM from Narkanda)
3. Chitkul to Kalpa
4. Kalpa to Nako
5. Nako to Mud Village (Pin Valley)
6. Mud to Kaza
7. Kaza to Chandratal
8. Chandratal to Manali
9. Manali to Delhi
Hi,
I’m planning to go Spiti on 24 june but have only 7-8 days start from delhi.
can you please suggest iternary accordingly?
Hi Raman – You can journey in the following manner.
1. Delhi to Narkanda / Rampur – If you can start really early from Delhi by say 3-4 AM, then you should be able to make it to Rampur easily. Do this and it will reduce your travel time on Day 2.
2. Rampur to Sangla/Chitkul
3. Sangla/Chitkul to Kalpa
4. Kalpa to Nako
5. Nako to Kaza
6. Kaza to Chandratal
7. Chandratal to Manali
8. Manali to Delhi
Hi Vargis,
I’m planning to go Spiti or complete circuit from shimla to manali on 15 june but have only 7-8 days start from delhi.
can you please suggest iternary accordingly?
Also we want to stay one night at chandratal lake.
Hi Deepak, You can journey in the following manner.
1. Delhi to Narkanda
2. Sarahan
3. Chitkul
4. Nako
5. Kaza
6. Chandratal
7. Manali
8. Delhi
Thanks:-)
You are welcome !!! 🙂
Hi Sir
Very informative article! Thanks for sharing in detail. I am inspired by your write up and want to visit full Spiti circuit this year during 15th to 25th Oct Delhi to Delhi. As we are 2/3 friends will be doing the trip, is there any probability of getting public transport like bus and shared taxis? Pls help.
Hello Koustav – Spiti is a well connected region and you will find public transport very easily. Please take a look at this post.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/spiti-valley-bus-service-frequency-fare/
Hi Vargis,
Thanks for the itinerary.
We are a group planning to start from June 21st from Shimla for 11 days. Had a few questions:
1. We will be starting with this trip on 21st June, so will we face any problems wrt to any road closures like Manali Kaza road, and also will be able to go to Chandratal Lake during that time?(Around 27-28th June)
2. Also we would be hiring a vehicle. So is it advisable to directly contact a tour agency for everything ranging from travel to stay, or can we book everything individually.
3. We would have a spare day. We were thinking of doing paragliding in Spiti (Solang or any other) or Manali. Can you recommend where can we use this extra buffer day and is paragliding possible at that time? If not, how can I spend the extra buffer day(possibly near Manali)
4. Also we wanted to visit Pin Village, so is it possible to accommodate that in your itinerary?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Ronak,
1. No. Roads will all be open by 27th 28th including Manali to Kaza and Chandratal.
2. Only book your vehicle with a rental company. Find a hotel on the spot after you reach, do not book anything else.
3. On the Spiti circuit, it is only possible at Manali.
4. How many days do you have in hand in total? Let me know and I can suggest an itinerary including Pin Valley.
Thank you for the reply sir!
We would arrive at Chandigarh(6 people) on 21st June in the morning and we will have to reach Delhi on 2nd July early morning(Around 8-9AM)
Also regarding booking of vehicle, do you know some drivers or agency who operate in those regions. Just to confirm we would prefer to hire a taxi rather than self driven rental car.
And what would be the approximate cost assuming the driver drives the car, and not us.
Hello Ronak Bhai – You can following the following itinerary.
.
21 – Chandigarh to Sarahan
22 – Sarahan to Chitkul
23 – Chitkul to Kalpa
24 – Kalpa to Nako
25 – Nako to Mud Village (Pin Valley)
26 – Mud to Kaza
27 – Kaza to Kibber / Komik to Kaza
28 – Kaza to Chandratal
29 – Chandratal to Manali
30 – Manali to Delhi
.
I left a buffer day here that you can spend at any place of your liking.
For renting a taxi, please call Jamaica at 9418200183. He can provide a cab for the entire tour. Let him know you got his number from me.
hi,
we are planning a trip to spiti valley starting from 28 th september at simla and ending on 6 th october in manali.does the road permits 12 seater tempo traveller? will it be safe for a two years infant there?
here is my route:
28 th sept: simla
29th sept:simla
30th sept:sangla
1 st oct:kalpa
2 nd oct:tabo
3rd oct:kaza
4th oct:losar
5th oct:keylong(via moon lake)
6th oct: manali
i have read your satemnets u said that we will find some cheap hotels in spiti but we are 11 in numbers and can’t find hotels at that cheap rates u mentioned.also getting problem of finding hotels in losar except nomad’s cottage.can u help me out ?
Hi Sunanda – Yes you will be able to complete the trip in a 12 seater. It is Ok to travel with a 2 year old, just avoid spending the night at Chandratal as there could be symptoms of mountain sickness there.
For accommodation in Spiti, check out the information at the link below. There is no place to stay at Losar by the way. You should skip it. It is just one hour from Kaza and there is nothing there really.
You can also consider booking your stay at PWD guest house, those are the cheapest.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/accommodation-in-spiti-valley-recommended-hotels-guest-houses/
Hi Vargis,
Thanks for all the useful info you have shared through your blog. 4 of us are planing to travel in may end (25th May) to Spiti, could you please guide us, which route would be open in that time? we would love to go to rohtang, so we are flexible to change the dates to 1st or 2nd june. we would like to travel from delhi for 12 days. Also could you please help us with itinerary, we would like to cover all in spiti.
Hi Jo,
Manali to Kaza route will not be open until late June so you will not be able to complete the entire circuit. This however is the update as of now, may change.
The only route open right now is Shimla to Kaza and back to Shimla so covering Rohtang will be tough unless you are willing to go to Manali once you are back in Shimla. Or maybe start from Manali, cover Rohtang and then go to Shimla.
You can try the following.
1. Delhi to Manali
2. Manali to Rohtang to Manali
3. Manali to Shimla
4. Shimla to Chitkul
5. Chitkul to Kalpa
6. Kalpa to Tabo
7. Tabo to Kaza
8. Kaza to Mud Village (Pin Valley)
9. Mud Village to Nako
10. Nako to Sarahan
11. Sarahan to Narkanda
12. Narkanda to Delhi
Or the following
1. Delhi to Narkanda
2. Narkanda to Chitkul
3. Chitkul to Nako
4. Nako to Kaza
5. Kaza to Kibber / Komik to Kaza
6. Kaza to Mud Village
7. Mud Village to Kalpa
8. Kalpa to Shimla
9. Shimla to Manali
10 Manali to Rohtang to Manali
11. Manali to Delhi
Keep a day as buffer just in case.
Forgot to ask, how are you traveling?
We would be travelling by car there.
Then you can follow either of the itineraries I suggested above, whichever suits you the best.
Hey Vargis, First of all thanks for taking time out and helping us fellow wanderers with this detailed post. May I request your suggestion on:-
1. We are traveling first week of June to Spiti so please suggest route, I understand that Manaly may be closed and Shimla is the way to go, however, we want to include Pin valley as well. We are traveling with 2 children aged 10 and 8. Our trip is for 7 days.
Thanks in advance for your response. Once again appreciate all your help
Regards
Khyati
Hello Khyati,
Let me first ask, where are you traveling from and how are you traveling? Please let me know and I can suggest an itinerary accordingly.
Hi Vargis, we are going to travel from Mumbai to Chandigarh. We will be hiring a car.
Thanks
Hi Khyati, Starting from Chandigarh, for 7 days, you can follow the following itinerary.
1. Chandigarh to Sarahan
2. Sarahan to Chitkul
3. Chitkul to Nako
4. Nako to Kaza
5. Kaza to Mud Village (Pin Valley)
6. Mud to Kalpa
7. Kalpa to Chandigarh
Hi Vargis,
I would like to ask about the route to Kaza. I’m planning to go Spiti on 9th May Night and will come to Delhi on 14th May. Could you Please let me know about the Route, what should I take to reach there and come back.
I’m planning to hire a Car “Polo”, would it be fine? Please suggest.
Hi Aanchal – Hiring a car will be Ok as long as you are confident of your driving skills. Manali to Kaza will remain closed on 9th May. You will have to reach via Shimla and take the same road back home.
Hi Vargis,
First of all Thank you very much for efforts you have taken to help fellow travelers
We need your help in our plan . We are starting from Chandigarh. We have planed form 21st June till 2nd July
We are 4 riders all on duke 390. We all have completed leh and Bhutan tracks
Our bikes has 13ltr petrol tank. Average is some were 25km/L
We all will be carrying 60L Dirtsack tailbag
Do we need to carry extra petrol with us like in leh?
I hope you won’t mind in helping us in designing our itinerary.
Regards
SSingh
Hi Sheatal – It majorly depends on the places you are interested in covering but yes, with a 13 liter tank and 25 as average, you will definitely need to carry additional fuel.
Our Itinerary pls give your feedback
Day 1 – Chandigarh to Narkanda
Day 2 rest
Day 3 Narkanda to Sarahan
Day 4 – Sarahan to Chitkul
Day 5 – Chitkul to Kalpa
Day 6 – Kalpa to Nako
Day 7 – Nako to Kaza
Day 8 – Kaza to Kibber, Komik, Tashigang, Kaza
Day 9 – Kaza to Chandratal
Day 10 – Chandratal to Manali
Day. 11 Rest
Day 12 – Manali to Chandigarh
Ok, sorry for the confusion here brother. I was replying to all the comments, including Ladakh and Spiti both and don’t know why I thought you were going towards Ladakh.
Coming to your question again, no you do not need to carry fuel. You will be all right. Take a look at the article below for a list of places where you can find a petrol pump.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/accommodation-and-other-facilities-in-spiti/
About your itinerary, It looks perfect. No change required at all. Just one suggestion, not much in Narkanda, why not spend that rest day somewhere else?
Oh great this article give clear pictures about petrol pumps great .
What is your suggestion for rest day.
I will recommend spending some time at Chitkul. It is way more scenic than Narkanda. Or from Chitkul, you can come back 20 kilometers to Sangla and spend a day there. From Sangla on the next day, you can go to Kalpa.
Hey thanks for your suggestions.
We have decided to take rest in chitkul.
You are welcome bro !!!
Hey Vargis,
We are planning a 6 day trip including stops in Delhi/Shimla/or Chandigarh
Do you think it is advisable?
Only 6 days are what we get and really really want to make this tip. What will be the best itinerary according to you?
Thanks 🙂
Chaitrali
Hi Chaitrali, When are you traveling? In May or June? Let me know the dates of your arrival and departure from Delhi or Chandigarh and I can help with an itinerary.
Hi Vargis,
Enjoyed your posts, many thanks. I am planning a trip to Spiti Valley in 2 – 3 rd week May 2017. I am in two minds about whether to hire a taxi (with a driver experienced on mountain roads), or to drive there myself from Chandigarh. I haven’t driven on Himalayan roads before, but regard myself as a decent driver. There are pros and cons of hiring a taxi: safety being an advantage, but then there is less freedom in terms of enjoying the trip – which is good if I drive by myself, but would definitely not risk my life.
Considering I’m planning to take a Scorpio if I drive by myself, and if I drive slow, would you still consider taking a taxi as a better alternative? Would be great to get your views.
-Harsh.
Just adding to my post: I don’t think the Manali route might be open (06 – 13th May), hence my trip is to-and-from Chandigard (via Shimla, Narkanda, Nako, etc.). Thanks !
Hi Harsh – Since you are planning to come back to Shimla to Kaza, I do not see a reason why cannot drive your own car. We all have our first times, mine was taking a Safari all the way to the top of Chanshal Pass. The actual bad roads start after Kaza towards Manali. Drive slow, drive carefully and you will be all right. From Chandigarh to Rampur, it is a smooth road. After Rampur until Puh, it is broken, mix of good and bad but mostly bad with a lot of potholes and gravel. After Puh, it is smooth again until Nako. After Nako it is average until Kaza. The really bad part will be between Reckong Peo and Puh and between Karchham and Sangla but it is nothing that anyone who has a decent driving experience cannot handle.
Since you are in Chandigarh already, I would highly recommend taking the Scorpio towards Shimla just for a test run, so that you at least have an idea of how to handle Himalayan roads before you drive towards Spiti.
Hi Vargis,
We have just 8 days and we are planning for spiti…..What should be our itenerary
Hi Mohit -Where are you traveling from and when?
Hi Vargis ,
We Will be traveling from Delhi to spiti in last week of May
26th may to 1st june
In last week of May you will pretty much be limited to Shimla to Kaza to Shimla. Manali to Kaza will not open until June end. For 8 days, you can follow the following itinerary,
1. Delhi to Narkanda
2. Narkanda to Chitkul
3 Chitkul to Nako
4. Nako to Kaza
5 Kaza to Mud (Pin Valley)
6 Mud to Kalpa
7 Kalpa to Shimla
8 Shimla to Delhi
Hi Vargis, First of all thanks for the ideal itinerary that one should plan if going for Spiti circuit.
we are planning to go to spiti in June second week, will all the passes be open by then. Also we will most probably be renting a SUV from Delhi, good enough?
Hello Vasu – Thank you for appreciating the post.
Yes, all the roads will be open by June second week. SUV will be good for the trip. Which one are you planning on renting, if I may ask?
Hi Vargis,
I am planning to rent a car from Delhi and start the journey on 20th May 2017. I am travelling with my family and we are total 4. We have about 9 days to finish the trip. Please let me know how I should spend the days. We are inclined towards a small trek as well. Do we need to book hotels in advance and what are the availability? I heard there is a shortage of power. Should we carry a lot of battery back up? How is the food like?
Thanks in advance. You are doing a great job
Ajay
Hi Ajay – Thanks for your kind words. For 9 days you can follow the following itinerary.
1. Delhi to Narkanda
2. Narkanda to Sarahan
3. Sarahan to Chitkul
4. Chitkul to Nako
5. Nako to Kaza
6. Kaza
7. Kaza to Chandratal
8. Chandratal to Manali
9. Manali to Delhi
Trekking can be done while you are at Chandratal. All the camp sites are at a few kilometers from the lake so you will have to walk the last bit to reach Chandratal. Plenty of green hills all around that you can walk. Or you can trek your way to nearby small villages while you are in Kaza.
No need to book any hotels in advance. Just go there, find a hotel you like and check in. Plenty of options available.
No power shortage in May at least, no need to carry any extra back up for batteries.
Depends on the hotel you are staying at but it will be decent enough all across the trip.
Let me know if you have any further questions.
Thanks for a prompt response.
You are welcome !!!
Hi Mr. Vargis , I am planning a trip to Kaza from 3rd week of May via Shimla , Kalpa in self drive car ( 2 passengers only). Should I opt for Honda Amaze or Hyundai i-20 ? Or otherwise What are the chances that we can get a taxi from Kalpa to Kaza and back leaving my vehicle at Kalpa for 3 days ? And expected charges ? Is it possible to cover the distance from Kalpa to Kaza during daylight in May month ? Thanks in advance.
The problem with both the cars is ground clearance. Amaza has 165 mm and I20 has 170 MM of ground clearance so clearly I20 is a winner here but I would still not recommend it for Spiti trip. It is bound to get hit by some rocks underneath. You can get a taxi from Reckong Peo to Kaza and back; charges would be anywhere between Rs. 2000 to Rs. 3000 per day. Yes the distance can be covered in a single day if you are in a taxi but if you chose to take I20, better break it in two days because trying to rush the car will only cause further problem. Take the journey slow and easy. The problem will be the stretch between Kalpa and Pooh, lot of dirt trails here After Pooh until Kaza, it is a mix of super smooth and average but nothing that an I20 cannot handle.
Hi Vargis, thanks for the informative blog. I am planning to go to Spiti trip for 7-8 day all by myself. I am driving in my Swift VXI in late May. I will go via Shimla and plan to return via Manali route. I wanted to know if my car would be okay for this trip and whether the Rohtak route be open during that time.
Hi Mukesh – Rohtang pass would most probably be open but Kunzum Pass may not be. You will have to be extremely careful with Swift, specially around water crossings or else the belly of your car will hit the ground underneath. Just be mentally prepared for a few rocks hitting ur car underneath.
I am planning a trip in the month of august this year may be 12th aug 2017 for next 9-10 days. Is it a good time to visit?
Also the transportation would be available during this time or no? And which are the best places to stay can u please help?
Hey Rucha – Yes August will be a good enough time to go. About the places, it depends on your budget. Let me know what your itinerary is and I can suggest if there is any change required.
About transport, I am in middle of writing an article about public transport services in Spiti. Give me until tomorrow and you should have all the details you need.
Hi Vargis,
I am planning a trip to Spiti Valley near about 19th May, Is it good time to visit there?
Also will Rohtang Pass would be open,? If not, then what will be the route via Shimla?
I am Planning for 6 days trip. Pls. advice
Hi Mayank,
To return via Manali, you will also need to cross Kunzum Pass which is expected to open by early June this year. Rohtang will be open by that time though but Kunzum Pass may not.
A 6 day journey for returning back via Shimla will be a bit much. Where are you traveling from? Delhi? If yes, then you can do the following route.
Day 1 – Delhi to Rampur
Day 2 – Rampur to Nako
Day 3 – Nako to Kaza
Day 4 – Kaza to Kalpa
Day 5 – Kalpa to Narkanda / Shimla
Day 6 – Narkanda / Shimla to Delhi
Be advised though that it will mean very long hours of travel on all days, probably 10-12 hours of ride. If Manali route is open, then the plan will be as follows,
Day 1 – Delhi to Rampur
Day 2 – Rampur to Nako
Day 3 – Nako to Kaza
Day 4 – Kaza to Chandratal
Day 5 – Chandratal to Manali
Day 6 – Manali to Delhi
Hi Varghis,
I’m from Mumbai and intending to visit Spiti in July. I would like to know whether I should take the route from Mumbai-Delhi-Manali-Spiti or Mumbai-Shimla-Spiti. I am not sure of the weather both in Manali and Shimla during July since it rains heavily there.
Secondly, is July a good season to visit Spiti?
Do you know of any organisations in Spiti Valley where we can work for a short period (teaching, conservation, research)?
Hello Veena , I recommend that you take a look at the following articles where I have provided details on whether you should chose Shimla to Spiti or Manali to Spiti. If this is your first time here though, I would recommend Shimla to Spiti. how are you traveling by the way? Driving on your own or taxi?
Spiti is in rain shadow area so there won’t be any rain there. You will encounter rain as you pass through Shimla, Kinnaur and Manali but once you enter Spiti, there will be very little or no rain at all. Travel early in July and rain won’t be an issue at all. Monsoon usually hits the region by late July and August.
There are a lot of NGOs working there for Spiti development but unfortunately I do not have contacts with any. Sorry.
Sorry I missed giving links to the articles,
https://vargiskhan.com/log/travel-spiti-valley-from-manali/
https://vargiskhan.com/log/travel-spiti-valley-from-shimla/
Dear Sir,
thank you for the information.
My self from Kerala, i planning to travel in the month of May.
sir as per the idea given by you
Day 1. Reach Shimla or Narkanda
Day 2 . Shimla / Narkanda to Sarahan
Day 3 . Sarahan to Chitkul
Day 4. Chitkul to Kalpa
Day 5. Kalpa to Nako
Day 6. Nako to Kaza
Day 7. Kaza to Kibber/Kaumik to Kaza
Day 8. Kaza to Chandrataal
Day 9. Chandrataal to Manali
Day 10 . Start your return journey from Manali
just want to know can i get transportation in local bus from point to point on a regular basis and is it easy to find cheap accommodation in each place ?
as i am traveling alone i need to clarify this 2 things because i don’t wanna get stuck anywhere.
awaiting your reply.
Thanks and regards
Relgin Rockes
Hello Relgin,
Spiti is a very well connected region. There are regular bus services and even if you are not able to board a bus, you will easily be able to find a shared taxi that locals use. The only problem could be on Day 7 because these regions are very remote and you may not find a transport towards there.
All these places have cheap accommodation option. You will easily be able to find a room for Rs. 500 – Rs. 600.
Hi Vargis,
I am visiting KAZA in the last week of june with my wife, I have three days in Kaza, can you please help me to plan the best itinerary for these 3 days.
Thanks!
Anish
Hello Anish – I would be happy to help. Let me know where you are starting from and what is your mode of travel and I can suggest an itinerary.
Hi Vargis,
Planning a travel in first week of April, it’s just two of us doing and we precisely have 9 days to spare.
1. Is it doable/good time to take it up ?
2. Public transport is preferred, would it be a good idea. We are starting from delhi, what would be the best route to take.?
3. Could you help us with places to visit and saty?
4. What Precautionary measures are to be taken?
Thanks.
Hi Chandresh,
First week of April is not a good time, specially when you are travelling via public transport and have just 9 days in hand. It is still snowing in Spiti and frequency of public transport will be lesser. Even finding accommodation could be a challenge. Weather is still way too cold in Spiti and most of the hotels, guest houses are closed. If you can, I would recommend postponing your trip by another month, go either towards end of April or early May. Also, if possible, use your own vehicle if you have just 9 days.
Hi, we are three people who want to visit this place. We have around 10-14days for this trip, we will be starting from Delhi. We are planning our trip in mid-april. We wanted to ask about the local transportation as we don’t own any vehicle and we want it to be a budget trip. How do we travel in and around spiti valley?
Shared cabs and public transport are your only options. Spiti is a well populated and connected area however availability and there is a daily bus service. A regular bus runs from Shimla to Kaza so you can board that to move to the next town. Shared cabs is another good option.
Hi, I am planning a trip with my spouse and 5 year old daughter to Spiti in May 2017. I would not like an itinerary that is too hectic since that would make our daughter cranky. Also, it will be her first time in the high altitudes. Would it be safe for her? Can you suggest an itinerary for 7-8 days, more relaxed, giving her more time to soak in and enjoy the local experiences. Also,what would you suggest are great places to visit?
Bakul – How are you traveling and where are you traveling from?
Hello..even we want to travel to spiti valley for 8 days in hand and 6year old child..we r from mumbai..so where to start from . It wd b great help so we can plan our booking..also itinerary with kid friendly. Thanks
Darshana shah
Hello Darshana – It would be better to start from Shimla and end at Manali. Let me know your dates of travel and I can help with an itinerary.
Because if you are planning to cover Chandratal, Kunzum and Rohtang, it wont be open until early June.
Hi Vargis,
It’s great to see how you have been helping many to plan their trips. Thank you!
I am planning to go to Spiti in 2nd week of April. We will be driving self-owned vehicle.
We have 7 days in hand to start from Delhi and back.
Is it good time to plan? Do we have sufficient days in hand? What would be the best itinerary?
Hi Manik,
1. Is it a good time to plan? Not really. Both Kunzum Pass and Rohtang La will be closed so you will have no choice but to reach Kaza from Shimla and return via the same route. Delay it by a month and trip will be better.
2. Do we have sufficient days in hand? You can do it but it will be a rushed trip for completing Delhi – Shimla – Kaza – Delhi in 7 days. You will have to throw in 1 day more at least if you still intend to do it and 2-3 days if you want to be a relaxed and enjoyable trip.
3. You can follow the following trip.
1. Delhi to Narkanda
2. Narkanda to Sarahan
3. Sarahan to Nako
4. Nako to Kaza
5. Kaza to Tabo
6. Tabo to Kalpa
7. Kalpa to Narkanda / Shimla
8. Narkanda / Shimla to Delhi
Thanks a lot mate! I will plan it in mid May then and try to add one more day!
Great brother … If you are doing the journey in Mid May then Kunzum and Rohtang may be open too in which case you can do the complete Shimla Manali circuit and won’t have to return to Shimla from Kaza.
hi vargis…its nice blog…and helpfull too…
can u pls suggest me if we can go thr in september last/early oct?
and is it possible to come manali from kaza in a day includeing a visit chandratal?
is there any accomodation in chandratal?
Hi Ayan – Thank you for your kind words brother.
1. Yes you can visit in Sep end or early October
2. Yes you can do Kaza to Manali in a day but it will be one heck of a long journey if you want to include Chandrataal. You will have to start by first light of the day from Kaza to reach Manali late in the evening (probably after dark) after a visit to Chandrataal.
3. Sep end, Yes, Early October, yes but very limited options as most of the camp sites wrap up by Sep end.
Joydip – Covering the entire Spiti valley starting from Delhi and then being in Ramnagar on 14th for your return flight will be quite a long and hectic journey. Do you want to visit only Spiti or are you considering other places as well?
Hi Rohit -Thanks for liking my blog brother.
1. You may visit in October but it is going to be really cold plus there will be no accommodation option at Chandratal so that will pretty much remain out of the itinerary. It has already snowed in Ladakh at several places and Spiti too has already gotten way too cold.
2. As I mentioned above, it has already started to snow at high altitude passes in Ladakh region so do not be surprised if it snowed early in Spiti too. Rohtang usually remains open in mid October but Kunzum is not guaranteed. Check back with me before starting your trip and I can confirm if the pass is open at that time or not. If it is closed, then you can go only as far as Kaza and will have to return via the same route to Shimla.
3. Just go slow and carefully and you will be OK. There is always a first time for everyone brother. Spiti is notorious for bad roads but it is nothing that you cannot handle if you have decent enough experience of riding motorcycles in the city, just be a little careful and travel with ease.
4. For your fourth question, let me first ask you, how long have you been riding motorcycles and which ones are you planning to travel on?
Thanks,
Vargis
Thanks for the reply Vargis !
Well, I can sacrifice on Chandratal, will see the situation and act accordingly 🙂
Yeah, I will definitely ask you when I am starting my trip.
We have been riding motorcycle for many years, but on and off. We were thinking to take Pulsor / Yamaha 150 CC, which will be lighter side as compared to Enfield and will be easier to handle.
Thank you very much,
Rohit
Well there is no essentials that you must carry. Everytime I went to Spiti, It was just an Enfield, my luggage and a nylon rope, that is all. Tent I will not recommend on a Pulsar or Yamaha because carrying that kind of luggage would be a huge problem on these motorcycles. If it makes you feel better, just carry elbow and knee guards. Spiti has already gotten too cold so ensure that you are carrying a heavy jacket alongwith some thermals. Get a jacket that has a hood to it as well to protect your neck and head. Do you have the luggage carrier installed on the motorcycles?
Hi Vargis,
We will be renting out the bikes from Shimla, so I am not sure if they give the luggage carrier pre-installed with bike? Also, we will need to buy the saddle bags right? I guess the typical hiking back pack wont work. Will probably carry my stuff in normal bags and figure out how to carry it on bike on first day in Shima?
sorry I know I am asking very basic questions as I am totally naive to this, have done lots of hiking in Himalayas but never a bike trip. 🙂
will remember the Nylon rope.
Thanks,
Rohit
I am not sure about Shimla but I know that in Manali, they may charge something like Rs. 100 per day for luggage carrier or saddle bags so there is a high chance that such an arrangement might be available in Shimla as well.
Another thing, buy that black colored polythene from any of the hardware stores or else your bags will be all covered in dird and mud. If you are travelling solo and just have one bag then you do not even need a luggage carrier. Carry a nylon rope and some bungee cords. First tie the cords around the luggage and then just to secure it (in case the cord gives away), tie the nylon rope. When you are roping the luggage, keep in mind that you will be riding on extremely bad roads so there will be lot of jerks and a high chance of the luggage coming lose. So secure it accordingly.
And since you bought up the topic of renting bikes in Shimla, I think I too could use your help. Can we talk on the phone? Whatever your experience is of renting bikes in Shimla, if you can give me some details on it after your trip, I can post it here on the blog to help others.
Hi Vargis,
Thank you very much for sharing your travelogue, very informative indeed.
Me and my friend are planning for a Spiti bike trip in October, we are planning to start on 5th from shimla and reach manali on 13th or 14th. I have few questions:
1. Is October a good month for the bike trip? Will it be too harsh cold weather to do a bike trip?
2. Do you think rohtang pass will be open in mid october for us to come back to manali? If not, will it be possible to return back to shimla from kaza and still complete the trip under 9 days?
3. we dont have motor biking experience in mountains, we are not hardcore bikers, have ridden bikes only in the cities. Will it be too risky?
4. Do you have some sort of list of gears / accessories / essentials we will need to carry? (tent / protection gear / petrol / knee cap / what kind of jacket?) Basically we have no idea what all to carry for a bike trip apart from clothing etc. And would it be possible to arrange all that on our first day in shimla?
Sorry for too many questions 🙂
Appreciate your help !
Thanks,
Rohit
Hi Rohit -Thanks for liking my blog brother.
1. You may visit in October but it is going to be really cold plus there will be no accommodation option at Chandratal so that will pretty much remain out of the itinerary. It has already snowed in Ladakh at several places and Spiti too has already gotten way too cold.
2. As I mentioned above, it has already started to snow at high altitude passes in Ladakh region so do not be surprised if it snowed early in Spiti too. Rohtang usually remains open in mid October but Kunzum is not guaranteed. Check back with me before starting your trip and I can confirm if the pass is open at that time or not. If it is closed, then you can go only as far as Kaza and will have to return via the same route to Shimla.
3. Just go slow and carefully and you will be OK. There is always a first time for everyone brother. Spiti is notorious for bad roads but it is nothing that you cannot handle if you have decent enough experience of riding motorcycles in the city, just be a little careful and travel with ease.
4. For your fourth question, let me first ask you, how long have you been riding motorcycles and which ones are you planning to travel on?
Thanks,
Vargis
hi, we are a couple planning to visit simla, manali, spiti during October 8 to 16. Is there any couple wants to join us, please contact at 9836638599
Hello Joydip – All the best for your trip brother. Would love to hear about your experience once you are back.
Hi,
can you please suggest a best route map for Himachal visit for October 7 to14? We will be reaching delhi on october 6th and return ticket on 14th from Ramnagar (RMR). please suggest.
Hi Joydip – Are you talking about Ramnagar in Uttarakhand? Near Haldwani and Kashipur?
yes.
we are also a couple and would be keen …. please mail me your plan on [email protected]
Regards,
Rajesh
Hi Rajesh,
You are stick to visit to Shimla or you can go to Nainital too?
Hi Yogesh – Your schedule is a bit tight but doable. I would not recommend Suraj Taal because it would mean going in an entirely different direction towards Baralacha La. Why do you need a tour guide by the way? Just to book a cab? If yes thn let me know and I can guide you to my contact in Kaza who can help arrange. He runs a camping site at Chandra taal so you can also stay with him there.
Hi,
Okay so I am excluding Surajtal from the plan.
About tour guide thing, i am getting following itinerary from Manali to Shimla for about Rs 20,000 per person.:
Day 1: Manali
2: Manali – Chandrataal
3: Chandrataal – Kaza
4: Kaza- Lalung – Demul – Kaza
5: Kaza – komik – langza – kaza
6: Kaza – Ki – Kibber
7: Kibber – Tabo – Dhanker – Nako
8: Nako – Sangla
9: Sangla – Shimla
10: Shimla – Chandigarh
This includes:
1) Accommodation at all destinations as per the itinerary in 1 triple sharing rooms.
2) Breakfast and dinner at all hotels, homestays and camps except in Manali and Shimla.
3) Comfortable Toyota Innova for all days as per the itinerary
4) Reliable, experienced and adept English-speaking local driver with great knowledge of the area and the terrain.
5) Driver charges, driver accommodation, fuel and inter-state toll.
6) Camping fees, comfortable tents and sleeping bags and three meals at Chandratal Lake
7) Monastery / Museum Fees
Now this doesn’t include Chitkul, Sarahan but it includes almost all the important villages in Spiti. Pl tell me as per the itinerary you gave, will we be able to cover these villages?
Also, I came to know about following drivers in Spiti – Chhewang Dorjey, Ramesh Kumar, Tenzin Chauppel, Arun Negi, Mahesh Kumar Ranot, Anil, etc.
Assuming we reach Manali by 21st night after Amritsar, Mcleodganj, Bir Billing and cover Lahaul & Spiti from 22nd to 29th, will we get a good deal from any of these guys?
If we are not going for tour guide, our needs would be these – breakfast, lunch, dinner, camping at Chandrataal, hotels/ homestays, Transport (SUV considering the condition of roads). So will be able to handle all this on the spot and with all expenses less than Rs 20000 per person?
Another thing:
Bir billing: 1500 mt
Manali: 2000 mt
Solang: 2500 mt
Chandrataal: 4300 mt
Kaza: 3800 mt
Now where should we exactly spend reasonable amount of time for acclimatization?
I know I am making you read and write a lot, but pl bear with me 🙂
We are 2 couples also interested in a similar itinerary though from shimla to manali route after 25 September ….. in the same budget of Rs.20,000 (max) per person. Please advise which tour operator is giving you this budget. Please give contact details.
How many days are you planning Rajesh?
8-10 days
Hi Yogesh – Charges seem about right if it covers all the costs. On day 8, ask him to take you to Chitkul rather than staying at Sangla. It is just 20 kms ahead of Sangla but definitely a better place to stay. You can skip Sarahan, won’t miss much. I am not sure about any of these drivers. If you use public transport then your cost would come down drastically but then the hassle of finding a mode of transport will be on. This way at least you would have convenience and peace of mind. Spiti is not a very expensive place and finding a hotel for as low as Rs. 500 per night is not that big a deal. You can squeeze in your accommodation cost between 10-15000 easily for 10 days, food will of course depend on your choice. So yeah, if you were travelling on your own then you can save money but won’t have the convenience of a cab. If you want, I can check with my contact in Kaza to find out if he can offer a better deal, let me know. Acclimatiation is not a problem brother, your ascent will anyways be gradual so 90% of the chance is that you won’t feel mountain sickness anywhere.
Hi Vargis,
Yes I chose this option of tour guide for avoiding these hassles only. It would be great if you could check with your contact in Kaza for the entire itinerary (including Chitkul) and the mentioned inclusions.
Though I am quite ok with the deal these guys are offering, i wouldn’t mind considering the services from your contact.
Yogesh – I did include paragliding in the itinerary that I suggested. If you do not want to travel in a bus than you can board a shared taxi which will not cost you that high. There is no travelling in the night in Spiti valley, you can board a bus towards Manali for the night but I highly doubt you will find a mode of transport for travelling in the night beyond that.
Hi Vargis,
We are a group of 3 guys from Mumbai.
After going through your travelogues, I realized that I made a mistake while booking tickets.
I have chosen Amritsar to be our trip starting point and we would be ending the trip at Chandigarh.
We would be reaching Amritsar on 17th September at 12.30 pm and have a return flight from Chandigarh on 1st October at 2.30 pm
We would be visiting only Golden Temple, Wagah Border and Jalianwala Baag in Amritsar (Wagah border on 17th evening and other two on 18th) so that leaves us with 12 days (19th – 30th Sept).
I am wondering if we should really visit Lahaul and Spiti, considering AMS problem (as we would already be starting from higher altitude i.e. Manali) and the number of days we would be having in hand.
But still our first preference is Lahaul and Spiti….apart from that I want to include a visit to Shimla and Paragliding at Bir Billing (if possible). So is there anything we can work out for the itinerary?
Hi Yogesh – If you have all this time in hand, 13 days, I would definitely recommend that you include Lahaul and Spiti in your itinerary. Have you worked out an itinerary yet, something that I can take a look at and make suggestions? How are you travelling, renting a taxi or using public transport?
Hi Vargis,
Thank you for the prompt reply.
See initially we had thought of following destinations – Amritsar, Dalhousie, Mcleodganj, Bir Billing, Dharamshala, Kullu, Manali, Shimla which are typical travel destinations in HP. But we haven’t prepared any itinerary yet. So our itinerary would completely be from scratch.
And we had thought that it would be impossible to cover these destinations and Lahaul & Spiti in 15 days. So, we had excluded Lahaul & Spiti from our plan.
But in fact, we can skip some of the above mentioned destinations for Lahaul & Spiti. So now Lahaul & Spiti would be our highest priority.
And we are getting different versions of feedback about transport services in HP. As in some say state transport buses would be the worst option to travel in HP.
Though we are open to renting a taxi, we wouldn’t mind travelling by a state transport bus for some locations or even by getting a lift in a truck for that matter (not sure how safe would this option be).
Though we have done some research and gone through your articles, you can assume that we have absolutely no idea about the weather in September, the terrain over there, amount of time it takes for bus/ cab to reach next destination, etc.
And please suggest if we can include Bhagsu waterfall, paragliding in bir billing, shimla, camping at Chandrataal, Dhankar Lake, etc. in the itinerary. I assume Rohtang pass would already be part of the itinerary by default.
Yogesh,
If you want to cover Lahaul and Spiti, this is the itinerary I would suggest,
17th and 18th – Amritsar
19th – Mcleodganj
20th – Bir Billing
21st – Paragliding in Bir Billing
22nd – Manali
23. Manali to Chandrataal
24. Chandrataal to Kaza
25. Kaza to Nako
26. Nako to Kalpa
27. Kalpa to Chitkul
28. Chitkul to Sarahan
29. Sarahan to Shimla
30. Shimla to Chandigarh
This is a very tight schedule and I would highly recommend that you drop the idea of Bir Billing and keep 2 days in hand for a just in case situation, considering that you will be using public transport.
Hi Vargis,
Thank you for the info.
I will prepare a preliminary itinerary based on this and revert shortly. You can then suggest changes/ corrections to it then.
Is there any possibility that we could include paragliding in Bir Billing and skip any other destination? We are 3 bachelors so we can do away with visiting monasteries if we get to have some sort of adventure in Bir Billing.
Also, I read everywhere that the private cars/ cabs services over there would cost us a lot. E.g. just to reach Manali from Dharamshala it would cost us Rs 5500 for Dzire. And by HRTC bus it would be Rs. 358.
Though we are flexible on the budget, we wouldn’t want our per person budget to shoot up to some 40-50 thousand just because of the cab fares.
Also, need your suggestion on travelling at night. Is it safe? By anything – state transport bus or cab.
Hi Vargis,
I am thinking of following itinerary:
17 – 18 Sept: Amritsar
19 – 20 Sept: Reach Mcleodganj in morning of 19th and visit Bhagsu Nag and stay overnight at Triund Hill
20 – 21 Sept: Leave from Mcleodganj on 20th afternoon and reach Billing directly (if vehicles can reach the take off spot). Stay overnight and paraglide next morning and then leave for Manali on 21st afternoon.
21 – 23 Sept: Reach Manali on 21st night and stay there till 23rd (for acclimatization….that’s because we don’t want to ruin our trip due to AMS but your suggestions are welcome.)
So as per this plan, we would leave for
Chandrataal on 24th Sept, stay overnight in tents, then move to Kaza, Nako, Kalpa, Chitkul, Sarahan, Shimla, Chandigarh.
We have a return flight on 1st Oct at 2.30 pm.
This seems a very tight schedule but we would opt for private cars (maybe Indica/ Indigo). So does it seem doable?
Also, is it a good idea to visit Surajtal as well? If time permits.
I read about Parasol Camps, Spiti Ecosphere, Banjara Camps, etc for custom tours in Lahaul and Spiti. Which one seems affordable and good?
Hi Vargis,
Hope you are doing great.
A very happy new year to you and extremely sorry for not writing to you after my trip to Spiti.
Well I must thank you for all the guidance and help.
The trip was amazing and loved all the villages and places. Would have liked to thank you in person but didn’t have your contact details.
Though we couldn’t visit places like Dhankar Lake, Mummy at Giu, etc., we managed to cover almost all the places on that circuit and it actually gave us a reason to visit the valley again 🙂
Once again, thank you so much. Take care.
Hi Yogesh – I am glad that your trip turned out to be good. How about sharing some pics brother?
Hello Mr. Khan
Me and a friend have planned a bike trip to Spiti Valley from Gurgaon (NCR). Following is the itinerary we have adapted from online searches. The limited time we have in hand is the only challenge at the moment. Please refer to the itinerary and advice/suggest any changes to be made or the real time challenges to be faces with this intact. Our travelling dates are Departure 6th Aug 2016 and probable return day would be 14th Aug 2016 with couple of days already as reserve for any last minute diversions or weather conditions.
Day 1 – Gurgaon – Shimla 390 kms
Day 2 – Shimla – Rampur – Reckong Peo
Day 3 – Reckong Peo – Pooh – Sumdo
Day 4 – Sumdo – Kaza – Losar
Day 5 – Losar – Gramphu – Manali
Day 6 – Manali – Chandigarh
Day 7 – Chandigarh – Gurgaon
Now iam well aware that this itinerary is in its very amateur form and takes the AMS for a toss. However, without any guidance and being the first time, i want you to help us with it. Please suggest possible inclusions and additions if any keeping the difficulty or roads and AMS in mind.
We have total of 8 days at hand with a spare day currently with this itinerary. Please suggest a possible alternate with the days being 7 or max 8 travelling. And what to expect weather wise in the second week of Aug this year.
Thanks in advance.
Hello Avinash – A better itinerary would be as follows,
1. Gurgaon – Narkanda or Rampur if you can stretch a little
2. Rampur / Narkanda – Chitkul – If you are at Narkanda then this will be a long ride so start early. If you are able to reach Rampur on day 1 then this journey will get a little easier
3. Chitkul – Nako – Another long ride so start early
4. Nako – Kaza
5. Kaza – Chandrataal
6. Chandrataal – Manali
7. Manali – Delhi
hi vargis this is pratik … we are planning a trip to spiti ,
starting from Chandigarh and planning to do on bike .. can u suggest a good itenary please ..
Hi Pratik – Where are you starting from? How many days do you have in hand?
Hey Vargis,
Thanks for the info, We have entirely planned our Spiti itinerary based on your travelogues.
Just a few queries-
1-We planning like Day1- Chandigarh to Kalpa(11-12 hours I guess easily doable)
Day2- Kalpa to Kaza(Is it too much for a day? Not much interested in Nako or Tabo actually)
2-We are a couple and going by a cab. Which car would you suggest for the route?
Hey Rohit,
1. It will b a long drive but it is doable. Start really early from Chandigarh though, say like between 4-5 AM and take fewer breaks. Road till Narkanda is good but after that it will start to deteriorate and would slow you down until Kalpa. Speed here will come down to about 20-25 kms per hour so drive keeping that in mind in the initial part of the journey.
2. Kalpa to Kaza will be a really long journey. If you started from Kalpa by first light of the day, drove non-stop then you may hope to reach Kaza by late evening which will make it diffcult to find a hotel. My suggestion would be that you give it 2 days.
3. I would suggest Innova for this journey.
Thanks for the response, Alright then will have a stopover at either Nako or Tabo on Day-2. Which would be a better option among the two?
Hi Vargis,
I am looking for 7 day trip to Spiti, and have chandrataal, chitkul, kaza as preferrable destination to stay. What would be the ideal itinearary. I am reaching Simla on day 1 and would be leaving from Manali on day 7.
Hi Ankur – You can do something like this,
Day 2 – Shimla to Kalpa (long drive so start really early)
Day 3 – Kalpa to Nako
Day 4 – Nako to Kaza
Day 5 – Kaza to Chandrataal
Day 6 – Chandrataal to Manali
Day – Leave from Manali
Chitkul would be a little tough to fit in this schedule. If you are up for really long drives and want to cover Chitkul, you can do somthing like this,
Day 1 – Do not stay in Shimla. I am not sure where you are starting from but if possible, go further as far as you can, at least till Narkanda, if possible then stretch all the way till Rampur.
Day 2 – Chitkul
Day 3 – Nako
Day 4 – Kaza
Day 5 – Chandrataal
Day 6 – Manali
Hi Vargis ….
We are 2 couples planning to rent a Scorpio from Delhi and do the Spiti Valley tour from Shimla and return via Manali. The tentative itinerary is as follows:
Day 1 – 11-08-2016 – Delhi to Shimla – 360 kms, 8 hours – overnite at Shimla
Day 2 – 12-08-2016 – Shimla to Narkanda to Sarahan to Sangla to Chitkul – 200 kms, 8 hours – at Chitkul
Day 3 – 13-08-2016 –Chitkul to Sangla to Kalpa – 110 kms, 5 hours – overnite at Kalpa
Day 4 – 14-08-2016 – Kalpa to Nako to Tabo – 180 kms, 9 hours – overnite at Tabo
Day 5 – 15-08-2016 – Tabo to Dhankar to Pin Valley – 70 kms, 4 hours – overnite at Mudh Village
Day 6 – 16-08-2016 – Pin Valley to Ki & Kibber to Kaza – 80 kms, 4 hours – overnite at Kaza
Day 7 – 17-08-2016 – Kaza to Langza, Hikkim, Komic to Kaza – 70 kms, 3 hours – overnite at Kaza
Day 8 – 18-08-2016 – Kaza to Chandertal – 170 kms, 8 hours – overnite at Chander Taal Lake Camps
Day 9 – 19-08-2016 – Chandertal to Manali – 110 kms, 6 hours – overnite at Manali
Day 10 – 20-08-2016 – Manali to Delhi – 540 kms, 11 hours
Please let me know if the itinerary and the pit stops are at the right places or are we missing out staying at some scenic places, if so, please guide. We can change the internal itinerary as per better ones provided by you. Please also suggest the right places to stay at each place where we are halting at night … hotel, b&b, homestays, etc. Also suggest if we are missing anything en-route as we are ready to take small detours to see any worthy scenic place. If needed we can reduce a couple of places if not required to be visited or likewise add a couple of places that we have missed out on our itinerary. Would request you to give us a details reply with your valuable inputs as this is our first by road trip and we want to be sure about everything. Thanks a lot. Also if anyone or any group is travelling on the same route around that time, tu are most welcome to join us. Thanks again. Looking forward to your valuable input. Please also suggest if you know any good self drive rental company and accommodation for these 10 nights.
Hi Rajesh, Your itinerary looks pretty good except for that you cannot do Shimla to Chitkul in a single day. It is not about the distance but the condition of the roads which in Spiti is bad, and I mean really bad. You may also want to add Giu village and visit the Mummy of Spiti valley. Take a look at the following article,
https://vargiskhan.com/log/mummy-spiti-valley/
Thank you for your suggestion. We shall refix the itinerary for the first 2 days. Giu is in our detailed itinerary. Please also suggest the right places to stay at each place where we are halting at night … hotel, b&b, homestays, etc. Please also suggest if you know any good self drive rental company and accommodation for these 10 nights.
Hello Rajesh – I do not know any self drive rental companies, sorry.
Shimla – Several hotels here, you can easily find one accommodation here as per your preference and budget.
Sarahan – Same as Shimla, though a smaller town but plenty of hotels. Do not go all the way till the road ends, there are a few hotels on the way, about 1 – 2 kms before the temple. Keep an eye out for those.
Chitkul – Several hotels here as well but I would recommend the HPTDC rest house.
Kalpa – Several hotels here too
Tabo – Same as Kalpa
Kaza – My contact’s name in Kaza is Jamaica – 09418200183. Speak to him and stay in his hotel, he is a nice guy. I have always stayed with him whenever I went to Spiti.
Chandrataal – Stay in Jamaica’s camps. He runs a camp site at Chandrataal
Manali – Several hotels
Delhi – I do not belive you will be finding a hotel here 🙂 .. Just kidding
Hi Vargis,
I went through all your Lahaul-Spiti Posts. These are very informative. Thank you for your posts.
We are 6 person(2 male and 4 female) heading to lahaul -spiti from Delhi on 09.08.2016 Night. We want to start from Shimla
on 10th Aug morning and to end our trip by reaching Manali on 15th evening so that we can reach Delhi on 16th August.
We want :
1. to cover all key places including one night camping at Chandratal.
2. to avoid packaged tour by any agency.
3. to hire an Innova with driver for our trip from Shimla to Manali. From where can we hire it.
4. know whether pre-booking of accommodation is required or not.
Plz suggest me an Itinerary accordingly.
Regards
Aloke
Hello Aloke,
For 6 days, this is the best itinerary I can suggest.
1. Shimla to Sarahan
2. Sarahan to Chitkul
3. Chitkul to Nako
4. Nako to Kaza
5. Kaza to Chandrataal
6. Chandrataal to Manali
You do not have to make any bookings in advance. I can check with my contact in Kaza if he can arrange an Innova. Let me know and I will ask him.
Thank you Vargis for your response. This itinerary seems suitable.
Kindly ask your contact if an innova can be arranged. Also please provide us the details of charges/fare.
Also please let me know How and which type of accommodation we can get there on all these stoppages.
Hi Vargis,
I am waiting for your response regarding arrangement of Innova. Plz check with your contact if it can be arranged.
Hi Aloke – Please give a call at 09418200183. Person’s name is Jamaica. I have already told him that you are going to give him a call, just refer my name and he would know. He can arrange and Innova for you. You can also talk to him about your stay in Spiti and Chandrataal.
Hi Vargis,
can you suggest an optimum plan for the circuit to cover in 4-5 days in frst week of july….
we will be starting from chandigargh.
4-5 days will be more like a canon ball run Gunjit. You can do something like this …
1. Chandigarh to Kalpa
2. Kalpa to Nako
3. Nako to Kaza
4. Kaza to Manali
5. Manali to Chandigarh
Keep in mind though that all these days will be a really long drive
Thanxx Vargis…I am thinking to drop this idea for 4-5 days and come back some other time with sufficient days in hand..
That is a wide decision brother
Swaroop – Contacts where? In Chitkul?
and yes, there is also the fact that Nako to Chitkul will be a very long journey. If you can, break it in 2 days. Do Nako to Kalpa, stay there for the night and then do Kalpa to Chitkul the next day. Take a look at this post to understand the route better.
https://vargiskhan.com/log/lahaul-spiti-route-guide/
Yes whatever contacts u have on the entire route will be every helpful sir 🙂
Yes..whatever contacts you have on the route would be helpful 🙂
Yes …whatever contacts you have on the route would be really helpful 🙂
I have a contact who can help with your stay at Kaza and Chandrataal. I am sure he can help with other places as well if you have any questions. Just tell him my name and he would know. His name is Jamaica and # is 09418200183
Hi Vargis,I just got anser to my question when i went through your itinerary at “https://vargiskhan.com/log/lahaul-spiti-route-guide/”
So planning to follow it in reverse order..do you think 11-12 days are good enough for that?We are planning to go without any reservations for accommodation so can you please provide some suggestions ..any contacts would be great help ..thanks a lot gain 🙂
Hi Swaroop – 11 to 12 days is more than sufficient. What is your current itinerary? Let me know and I can make suggestions.
Thanks for the prompt reply sir! well we don’t have much idea about spiti so I am just listing down the places and the respective day .Please provide corrections,additions and places to see in below list as we don’t want to miss out on good things for time 🙂
23 delhi to mandi/manali
24 manali stay (permit, hidimba temple,manu’s temple,old manali market)
25 Manali- Rohtang Pass – gramphu – Batal (lunch) – Chandrataal (camping stay)
26 Chandrataal – Kunzum pass-losar- Kaza
27 kaza-tashigong-langza-kaumik-gette-kibbar-kaza
28 Kaza – dhankar – Tabo
29 tabo- hurling- sumdo- mallingnullah- nako
30 nako-kalpa- chitkul- sangla
31 sangla- sarahan-rampur –narkanda
1 shimla –narkanda
2 shimla -delhi
Waiting for your reply 🙂
Hello Swaroop – Your itinerary looks good, I wont really change anything except for this,
30 nako-kalpa- sangla – chitkul
My honest advice would be that you stay in Chitkul and not Sangla. Sangla would come first, continue down the road for another 20 odd kms until it ends in Chitkul, mesmerizing place it is.
Ok will do that…any contacts u can refer? 🙂
Hi Vargis..thanks a lot for the detailed information.Me and 3 of my friends are making spiti plan ..we will be starting on 23rd july from delhi and have 12 days in hand(3rd august).Last august we visited leh on our bikes.We started from mumbai and took manali leh highway and while coming back took kargil shrinagar route.We were ok with AMS. The reason behind above details is that we want to take manali rohtang kunzum kaza route and then do the circuit through indo tibet highway.Every itinerary i saw follows the reverse route.Can you please help us with itinerary for our route?
I would advise to go from Shimla side because Rohtang permits have now turned into a big hassle, Avoid yourself the trouble and start from Shimla.
hi,
i am planning quick sangla and spiti valley solo backpacking trip. in minimum days possible.
it is my first solo trip so i am little confused on itinerary .
i will be starting from chandigarh. .. as below :
day1,2 : Chandigarh to Sangla/chitkul
(i know its long journey but i decided to spend 2 nights in chitkul and rest rather then spend a night in rampur) is it doable ?
day 3 : Nako
day 4 : Kaza
day 5 : chandratal
day 6 : manali.
day 7 : manali
day 8 : chandigarh
is this doable ??
also , i am planning to use public transport. will i get buses easily ?
do i have to book hotels in advance or that can be arranged on the spot ?
looking forward to your quick response.
thanks
Chetan
Chandigarh to Sangla in a day in public transport, I do not believe it is doable. Even on day 3 you will hav to start really early to reach Nako on time.
Narkanda to Chitkul can be a good 10-12 hrs journey, add the time you will take to get to Narkanda and you will know what I mean
Hi Vargis, I am planning trip to spiti in 4th or 5th week of July. Can you please advise regarding rains and what route to be chosen in these dates. We will be two person(me and my wife) using a rented self drive ecosport from noida. We are planning for 8-9 days.
Hi Saurabh – Have you prepared an itinerary yet?
Hi Vargis,
I have gone through the chain of messages and I highly appreciate the promptness of your replies.
We are planning to go to Spiti via Shimla 15th June onwards. This being the peak tourist season elsewhere in the mountains, I would love to have your advise on whether to book places of stay beforehand or not. Also, we were planning to take a Honda Amaze for this trip, is that doable?
No need to book accommodation anywhere Akshay, you can easily find a place to crash. Amaze can be a problem though considering the terrain and low ground clearance.
My friend and I are planning to visit spiti valley between July 5 to July 10th.We’ll reach manali on july 5th night and we need to be back to manali on July 10th night.We want to cover main places in spiti valley including chandrataal. Please suggest an itinerary and tell us about accommodation in spiti valley.
Thank you!
We are going on a bike
You wanna do only Manali to Manali and not Manali to Shimla, the entire circuit?
Hi Vargis,
I am planning a solo trip to Spiti valley sometime In the second week of June. This is my first solo trip so the very first question is if it’s safe for a solo female traveler to go from Delhi via Shimla to kaza? Second is I will be using public transport all through my journey so is it feasible to travel in public transport to visit places within the valley or I will most likely end up missing out on most of the scenic beauty on the way to different places? If yes, then what do you suggest as a mode of transport? Third, this trip has to be as cheap as possible for me so what will be the best accommodation idea as per you? As in guest house, home stay or stay at the monasteries or hotels?
Thank you for your help 🙂
Hi Saumya, Yes it is quite safe to travel. Since you mentioned that this trip has to be cheap, then using public transport would be best because any other option will cost more.Have you planned an itinerary that I can look at and suggest where you can hope to find a cheap accommodation and where not?
Hi Varghis,
We are three people having 9 days in hand to cover Spiti and Leh. I am not sure if we can cover both in this time span. I don’t want to miss chandratal and Key gompa but going to Leh is also must for other people in the group. Isd there a way to get all these done in this much time. If not, what would you suggest ? A complete Leh-Ladakh, Nubra valley trip from Manali or complete Lahaul spiti trip from Manali.
Also will 20th of June will be a good enough time to do this ? Considering access to all the areas. Thanks.
9 days for both Ladakh and Spiti is not sufficient Ashish. The spiti circuit requires a minimum of 6-7 days. If your friends are eager for Ladakh then I suggest you continue with that.
Please provide a little more on Delhi to Rampur/Sarahanpur bus and Chandigarh to Rampur/Sarahanpur bus service. I am unable to get much information on delux bus timings and booking.
Hi Vargis, this is awesome information you have put together here, thank you so much! I am planning a trip with a friend during the last week of September or beginning October this year. I would be starting the journey from Mumbai and have in total not more than 15 days. I would be using a self-drive of my XUV. I have done a road trip earlier during June, 2012 but could not do the Spiti Valley circuit. I intend to do the Spiti Valley circuit this time and plan on taking the Manali route. Also, I intend to exit via Leh and J & K and back to Mumbai. I would like to ask if its possible to this entire trip in 15 days? Also, since I am planning on travelling either September end or October beginning, is this a good time to travel this circuit. I plan on covering places like Chitkul, kalpa, Chandrataal to name a few… Can you please suggest an itinerary for me, considering my broader plan.
Thank you in advance for your suggestions.
The biggest concern is the self drive taxi and plan to cover Leh. Self drive taxis are a big no for Ladakh right now considering the accidents last year when some of these self drives were vandalized and damaged by locals. You can take it up to Leh but will have to hire a local taxi for sight seeing the nearby areas. Second is the weather, you are planning to do it in October and Kunzum may be closed at that time. Third problem is the number of days, covering this entire route in 15 days. Are you planning to drive from Mumbai and back because that would make the proposed trip nearly impossible.
Hi Vargis, thank you for your prompt response! I’m sorry I made you think that I’m hiring a taxi. Actually, what I meant was I would be taking my own vehicle. Yes, I’m driving from and back to Mumbai and I need to do this within the 15 days. If Kunzum would be closed in October, what other circuit would you recommend. I’ve done the usual Pangong lake and Leh in 2012.
Can you please make some suggestions!
Thanks again for all your help and support.
Best,
Anay
Hello Anay, how soon do you think you can make it from Mumbai to Delhi / Shimla? Let me know and I can suggest an itinerary
Hi Vargis, I can reach Shimla on day 2.
Here is an itinerary you can follow … keep in mind that it will still be a rushed journey Anay ..
Day 2 – Shimla
Day 3 – Sarahan
Day 4 – Nako
Day 5 – Kaza
Day 6- Chandrataal
Day 7 – Keylong
Day 8 – Sarchu or Pang if you still have daylight
Day 9 – Leh
Day 10 – Kargil
Day 11 – Srinagar
Day 12 – Pathankot
3 days left for you to reach back Mumbai from Pathankot. If you can make it in 2, then you can adjust one day anywhere in between in case you are not strictly able to follow the itinerary.
Thanks a lot Vargis, appreciate all your help…..
You are welcome brother …
Hi vargis,
We are four people travelling from delhi, want to visit lahaul & spiti on 10-12 june
We are in a self drive car, we want to take the delhi-shimla-lahaul& spiti- manali- delhi route.
The main problem is we have only 6 days in hand.
So, can u pls suggest an optimum travel itinerary for what places we should be visting and planning for to and fro journey in these 6 days.
~Thanks in Advance
Hi Anmol .. You can follow the following route
Day 1 – Delhi to Rampur / Sarahan (Start really really early from Delhi, say 3-4 am)
2. Rampur / Sarahan to Nako
3. Nako to Kaza
4. Kaza to Chandrataal
5. Chandrataal to Manali
6. Manali to Delhi
Can the sarahan to Kaza trip be completed in one day? So we have around 2 days for spiti valley?
In google its showing only 8 hours for sarahan to Kaza
It can be done but will be a long drive. You will have to start really early from Sarahan, rush through the entire drive and reach Kaza by evening. It is not the distance but the road conditions and hilly region. Roads in Spiti are terrible, probably the worst you have driven on in your entire life so far. Consider this, the Batal to Gramphoo stretch of about 70-80 kms takes approximately 6-7 hours to complete, that is how bad it can get. Plus, there isnt really much to do Kaza anyway. You may want to go towards Kibber / Kaumik but there isnt anything that you wouldnt already have seen in the trip so far. Read my travelogue of Spiti valley here and you will get an idea of how the trip is going to be …
http://roadragas.com/index.php?threads/the-mystique-land-of-lahaul-spiti.127/
Is it fine to go with 2yr old baby to spiti trip?
Yes you can but you would have to take extra precautions in terms of mountain sickness, sun-burns, cold etc … I would also advise consulting a doctor for medicines against mountain sickness
Hi Vargis! I want to travel to Spiti at the end of June 2016. Will Kunzum Pass be open ? and whatr would be the ideal itinerary for 7 days. We would be starting from Chandigarh. Or if 7 days not enough . Can we just cover kinner vallry i.e sangla , chitkul and kalpa ?
Hi Namrata – Kunzum should probably be open but cannot say for sure right now … 7 days should be enough .. you can do Chandigarh to Rampur or Sarahan on day 1, reach Chitkul on day 2, Nako on day 3, Kaza on day 4, Chandrataal on day 5, Manali on day 6, and Chandigarh on day 7.
we are planning to travel to lahaul spiti valley in june last week.. is this ok to travel with 6 year old?
Should not be a problem … be a little careful about acute mountain sickness though, may not want to stay at Chandrataal due to AMS
…
Hi Vargis
We are 8 guys planning to visit lahaul & spiti from manali side on 2nd may. We’ll be starting from jaipur. Since its our first trip to any high altitude place, I would like to know whether FORD ECOSPORTS would be a right choice for transport (since it has less power compared to other cars in its class).
And please tell me for permitts
Also what preparations are needed in case of car break down also pls suggest the brands which are of good quality.
.
Since we have only 6 days in hand to reach from delhi to manali, can u pls suggest an optimum travel itinerary so that AMS wud not be an issue.
Thanks
Hi Naveen – Ecosport will do just fine, shouldn’t face any problem at all but the thing is that you cannot go from Manali that early in the month of May because Kunzum pass would be closed. You will have to go from Shimla and return the same way. No permits required for Spiti anywhere. Where are you travelling from, Delhi?
Hi Vargis
We are 4 guys planning to visit lahaul & spiti from shimla side on 12th may. We’ll be starting from delhi. Since its our first trip to any high altitude place, I would like to know whether innova would be a right choice for transport (since it has less power compared to other cars in its class).
Also what preparations are needed in case of car break down also pls suggest the brands which are of good quality.
.
Since we have only 6 days in hand to reach from delhi to manali, can u pls suggest an optimum travel itinerary so that AMS wud not be an issue.
Thanks
Vikram
Vikram – Innova would be good enough for the journey but you will not be able to complete the circuit as Kunzum Pass will not be open that early in May. You will have to reach Kaza and take the road back to Shimla again
thanks
Hi Vargis,
Is mid May a good time to travel to Spiti?
Hi Neil – Yes it is although you will not be able to visit Chandrataal, Kunzum and Rohtang at that time